A barge catching fire off Terrigal Beach on the NSW Central Coast has led to a mass evacuation of the shoreline, where crowds were gathered watching the 9pm fireworks.
Malfunctioning fireworks set the barge on fire about four minutes into the display. Two technicians were on board at the time, and dove into the ocean to escape. They were picked up by passing boats.
The technicians have since been confirmed safe by NSW Fire and Rescue, albeit suffering minor injuries. They were treated by paramedics and taken to hospital.
Four fire trucks as well as NSW Police, NSW Ambulance and NSW Marine Rescue attended the scene.
A police spokesman said the crowd were evacuated as a “precaution“.
At the time of writing, there is an exclusion zone on the beach, as the effected barge continues to float to shore.
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Safe Work NSW are investigating the incident.
