Boat explosion in southeastern Florida leaves 1 dead, 5 injured

A boat explosion and subsequent fire has left one person dead and five injured in southeastern Florida, according to officials. The fire spread, engulfing a second boat.

Officials responded around 6 p.m. on Monday to reports of two boats on fire at the Lauderdale Marina following an explosion, according to Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue (FLFR). The initial explosion occurred while one of the boats was refueling, according to a boat towing service. The fire later spread to a second nearby boat.

“We transported five (people) to area hospitals, three with traumatic injuries,” said FLFR. “The sixth was missing in the water and located by BSO after a lengthy search, deceased unfortunately.”

EarthCam footage captured the moments of the boat explosion, showing half of the bow “jumping” during the blast and nearby people being thrown into the air or running for cover. The footage also shows the burning boat slowly moving toward the second boat, which then also caught fire.

The official cause of the explosion is under investigation, and the identities of the victims remain unknown.