Fire Breaks Out On NY Waterway Ferry, Passengers Evacuated

An engine room fire led to the evacuation of dozens of passengers from a NY Waterway ferry during the busy rush hour commute on Tuesday evening.

The 65-foot vessel Father Mychal Judge was transiting along the Hudson River en route from Manhattan to New Jersey when the blaze broke out on board.

Passengers and nearby observers told local media that flames could be seen on board, and images shared on social media show clouds of thick, gray smoke billowing from the ferry.

The ferry's crew was able to contain the fire by sealing the engine room and deploying the vessel's extinguishing systems, authorities said.

The 37 passengers on board were transferred to the nearby NY Waterway ferry Frank Sinatra and safely brought to shore. No injuries were reported.

The stricken vessel was then towed to NY Waterway's maintenance facility in New Jersey.

The cause of the incident is under investigation. 

The ferry Father Mychal Judge, built by Allen Marine in Sitka, Alaska in 2002, is named in honor of FDNY chaplain Mychal Fallon Judge, who was killed during the September 11, 2001 attacks.