A federal investigation into a deadly cargo ship fire at Port Newark found that a modified Jeep used to push vehicles aboard the vessel ignited after overheating — and that and a series of safety failures, including insufficient training, contributed to the deaths of two Newark firefighters.
The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday identified the “probable cause” of the July 2023 fire as Ports America’s use of a retrofitted passenger vehicle in an industrial setting. The vehicle’s transmission fluid boiled over and ignited on a hot engine surface as workers loaded used cars onto the Grande Costa D’Avorio ship, the report said.
The Jeep was owned by Ports America and operated by a shoreside worker provided by American Maritime Services. Neither entity immediately responded to requests for comment…