Nine people in Maryland were injured after a docked boat exploded, with four airlifted to a hospital due to the severity of their injuries, police said.
The explosion occurred on July 4 around 4.20pm on the Chesapeake and Delaware Canal in Chesapeake City, a small town northeast of Baltimore on the border with Delaware, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The 32-foot-long boat had just refueled in front of a seafood restaurant called Schaefer’s Canal House before the explosion.
Among those injured, seven were on the boat, and two were on a nearby dock, the fire marshal’s office said. None have been publicly identified.
Maryland State Police Aviation Command airlifted four of the victims to a Christiana Care Health Net facility, while the remaining injured were transported to local hospitals by ambulance.
Vincent Hunter Dortenzo, a spokesman for the Maryland Natural Resources Police, told the New York Times that the airlifted victims suffered serious burns.
No fatalities have been reported. The current condition of the people who were injured is unclear.
The explosion prompted a multi-agency response consisting of multiple helicopters, paramedics and more than half a dozen fire companies.
This boat exploded in Chesapeake City, Maryland, on Saturday afternoon. Nine people were injured, and four had to be airlifted to a hospital
Of the people who were injured, nine were on the boat and two were on a nearby dock. The damage to the boat after the explosion is pictured
The Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office said the cause of the explosion is under investigation and updates will be provided as they become available.
Dortenzo said the boat was a Wellcraft model from 1988 and that it was tied to the dock when it exploded.
Volunteer Fire Company #1 of Chesapeake City, Inc, Cecil County Paramedics, IAFF Local 4645 and several other departments were all involved in the emergency response.
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s Office for comment and additional details.
The explosion is one of several boating accidents that have been reported across the country over the holiday weekend as Americans flock to their vessels to celebrate.
Four people in Virginia were rescued and are recovering after their boat capsized in Virginia Beach on Friday morning, according to the Virginia Beach Fire Department. No serious injuries were reported.
Two adults and two children were hospitalized in Maryland on Friday after their boat caught fire in the Patapsco River shortly before noon, the Baltimore Banner reported.
One adult and one child suffered burns, according to a spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Fire Department, but all of the victims are reportedly in stable condition. The cause of the fire was not immediately clear.
Authorities said the cause of the explosion is under investigation. The damage to the boat after the explosion is pictured
Three children under the age of 11 were killed in Wisconsin on Friday after their boat in Geneva Lake capsized during a sudden storm.
Six adults and a fourth child were also on board. Rescuers saved them but were unable to find the remaining children.
Their bodies were eventually recovered after an extensive search, and hundreds of people gathered in Lake Geneva to pay their respects on Friday.
