2 injured after dock collapses in New Bedford

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE) — A dock collapsed Wednesday, injuring two people in New Bedford.

According to the New Bedford Fire Chief, Scott Kruger, around 2p.m., a pier collapsed at the end of Hervey Tischon Avenue.

When first responders arrived on the scene, they said one person was in the water and three others had gotten themselves out after a 225-by 36-foot portion of a bulkhead collapsed.

This photo shared with ABC 6 by Kenneth Dube shows a dock after an apparent collapse.

Officials said two people were taken to an area hospital with non-life threatening injuries. One was taken by a rescue boat.

Dive teams were working to remove debris from the water and assess a spill of hydraulic fluid that made its way into the water after the collapse.

The New Bedford Fire Department shared this photo of crews attempting to contain a hydraulic fluid spill after a dock collapsed.

“There was some equipment on this bulkhead that had fallen into the water and also with all the debris from the bulkhead itself, so there was several other boats attached to that so right now we are in the process of freeing those fishing vessels up that were attached to that,” Kruger explained. “We’re concerned about the hydraulic fluid and diesel from the equipment that was on the bulkhead itself when it collapsed. There’s going to be a dive team coming in, they’re going to retrieve, try and start retrieving some of that equipment now,”

A cause for the collapse was not immediately known but officials say the area that collapsed was under construction.

Several nearby fishing vessels were also moved so first responders could assess the damage.

A photo shared with ABC 6 from a Kenneth Dube, a worker in the in the area, shows the damage to pavement and nearby boats shortly after the dock collapsed.

This photo shared with ABC 6 by Kenneth Dube shows a ramp on a boat bearing damage after a dock apparently collapsed.