A single individual has died and two others have been hurt following an explosion on a vessel.
Hudson River
during
New York City
Saturday morning marks the start of Fleet Week.
The boat called “Hunt’s Point” exploded near the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant close to West 138th Street around 10:30 am. The individual who died, a 59-year-old man, worked at the raw sewage treatment facility.
Due to the blast in one of the ship’s compartments, he was pushed from the vessel and ended up trapped between another craft and a pier. Subsequently, he passed away, as stated by New York City Fire Department Deputy Assistant Chief David Simms during an on-site press briefing.
Officials have not named the man, but they mentioned that he had been employed with the Department of Environmental Protection for three decades.
Two additional staff members from the department received slight injuries. One person was taken to a local hospital, whereas the other declined medical attention right there at the scene.
The city owns the barge which carries untreated wastewater to the treatment facility. It seems this vessel wasn’t involved in the Fleet Week activities.
In a statement
posted to X
, the U.S. Coast Guard said the incident was linked to “hot work” aboard a docked boat. The compartment that exploded contained some of the waste on board. It remains unknown what specifically caused the blast.
Hazardous materials teams were observed cleaning up the barge and checking methane levels following the incident, during which untreated waste ended up on the vessel’s deck. Officials from the Fire Department also required decontamination post-response.
The blast occurred just days following an incident where a Mexican naval vessel, known as Cuauhtémoc, collided with the Brooklyn Bridge. This accident resulted in two fatalities and left 19 people wounded. It was reported that crew members aboard the boat were secured to the masts at the time of impact. The victims have been identified as América Sánchez, aged 20 from Veracruz, and Adal Jair Maldonado Marcos, who was 23 years old and hailed from Oaxaca.
New York City’s Fleet Week began on Wednesday and will run through Tuesday.
The theme for this year is “Celebrating Our Legacy, Safeguarding Tomorrow: 250 Years of Maritime Excellence.” This occasion allows the general public to interact with U.S. sailors, marines, and coast guardsmen as well as see the most recent advancements in military tech.
In response to the explosion and the tragic loss of life involving a worker, New York City Mayor Eric Adams stated: “We extend our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and coworkers as they navigate this difficult period.”
The health and safety of our city’s employees and all New Yorkers remain our primary concern. We are dedicated to thoroughly backing the investigation and making sure that every conceivable step is taken to stop such disasters from happening again.
Adams mentioned that currently, there doesn’t appear to be any indication of criminal activity.
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