los angeles — Dozens of firefighters were battling a fire that broke out on a container ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles on Friday evening, officials said.
All 23 crew members have been identified, and there were no injuries due to the electrical fire, which appears to have started below deck, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. The ship’s cargo contains hazardous materials.
By approximately 7 p.m., the fire had spread to several levels of the ship, according to the fire department, and then an explosion occurred in the middle of the deck. It was not immediately clear how the fire broke out.
More than 100 firefighters were battling the blaze at the Port of Los Angeles, according to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. The port is known as the busiest in North America.
“LAFD hazardous materials companies are monitoring air quality as fire suppression continues,” she said.
The 1,102-foot (336-meter) One Henry Hudson is operated by One Ocean Express, a shipping company based in Singapore. Before Los Angeles, the ship was recently in Japan, stopping in Kobe, Nagoya and Tokyo. One Ocean Express did not immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seeking comment.