STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The person who died in the shipyard explosion in Mariners Harbor on Friday has been identified as a 57-year-old father and husband from Flushing, Queens.
As first reported by the New York Post, the family of Xiaoyuan Li identified him as the victim of the deadly fire and explosion at May Ship Repair on Richmond Terrace.
Li, an immigrant from China, had been working at the shipyard for approximately four years, his family told the outlet.
Li’s family also raised serious concerns about safety conditions at the shipyard, the outlet reported.
The blaze was reported at 3075 Richmond Terrace between Mersereau and Andros avenues at 3:27 p.m. on Friday.
The initial report was for workers trapped in a confined space at the dock, and firefighters responding to the scene found the blaze in the double bottom of a 150-by-150-foot floating dry dock in the rear of shipping docks, the FDNY said.
The address, 3075 Richmond Terrace, is listed under multiple businesses, including May Ship Repair, which provides commercial and government vessel repair.
While firefighters were battling the blaze, a “major explosion” was reported at the location at 4:19 p.m. on Friday.
In addition to the fatality, there were 40 injured: one civilian in critical condition, and 39 members of the FDNY, according to a spokesperson for the fire department.
Dr. David Prezant, FDNY chief medical director, shared details on the two most seriously injured members of the FDNY at a press conference Friday night at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze.
Prezant said a fire marshal was in critical condition and was intubated at Staten Island University Hospital.
A firefighter, also at SIUH, was in serious condition, but was doing “very, very well,” according to Prezant.
As of May 23, both FDNY members were reported stable, according to a spokesperson for the FDNY.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani held a press conference at Northwell Staten Island University Hospital in Ocean Breeze after a fire in Mariners Harbor injured over 30 FDNY members on Friday, May 22, 2026.(Advance/SILive.com | Luke Peteley)
At the Friday press conference, Mayor Zohran Mamdani praised first responders for “running toward danger so others could escape” and urged New Yorkers to keep the victims and their families in their thoughts.
The cause of the fire and explosion has yet to be determined, and the clean up and investigation operation is still ongoing, according to the FDNY.
