NEW YORK — A longtime city employee was killed Saturday in an explosion on a boat carrying raw sewage docked on New York City’s Hudson River, authorities said.
Another worker on a city-owned Hunts Point ship was injured and taken to hospital after it exploded near the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant at about 10:30 a.m., according to city fire department assistant David Simms. A third worker refused treatment.
The cause of the explosion was under investigation, but New York Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement that the intent of the crime was not suspected. The man on board to treat raw sewage from the city was working with flames and sparks when the explosion occurred, the U.S. Coast Guard said on social media.
The first responder found an unconscious 59-year-old man on the river, and he was declared dead at the scene, according to New York State Police.
The man was a longtime employee of the city’s Environmental Protection Agency. His name has not been made public, but the mayor said, “a dedicated civil servant who gave New York City 33 years of service, and our hearts went out to his family, friends and colleagues during this painful period.”
The explosion spread raw sewage across the boat deck, and firefighters and other first responders had to be decontaminated, Sim said. DEP said there appears to be no environmental impact after the explosion.
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