1 dead, 2 injured in explosion on transport boat on Hudson River

An explosion on board a ship transporting waste along the Hudson River led to tragic consequences: one person was killed and two others were injured, ABC News 7 informs.

The incident occurred on Saturday at about 10:30 a.m. in the area of 138th Street along the Hudson River on a Hunts Point motorboat owned by the city of New York.

FDNY officers who arrived at the scene found signs of a powerful explosion in one of the ship's compartments. At the time of the incident, employees of the city's Department of Environmental Protection were on board the vessel moored at the North River Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility, a wastewater treatment complex on the Hudson River.

As a result of the explosion, the 59-year-old employee was thrown back by the blast wave between the pier and the ship, which led to his death. According to the New York Department of Environmental Protection, the deceased was an experienced employee who had worked for the organization for 33 years.

Two other workers who were on the ship were injured and were hospitalized in local hospitals.

"Due to the nature of the explosion, there was raw sewage on the deck. We had to decontaminate all FDNY personnel at this incident," said FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief David Simms.

The U.S. Coast Guard in the area of New York and three states reported on the social network X that, according to preliminary data, the cause of the incident was fire work carried out on board the moored vessel.

https://x.com/USCG_Tri_State/status/1926309758794969252?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1926309758794969252%7Ctwgr%5E2a383a0ee9fbcacda781ae935f25feef032fb561%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fabc7ny.com%2Fpost%2Fhudson-river-fatal-boat-incident-1-person-dead-2-others-injured-explosion-sewage-transport-vessel-new-york-city%2F16532880%2F 

NYC Mayor Eric Adams released a statement following the incident:

"I am devastated to hear about the tragic death of a dedicated Department of Environmental Protection employee who lost his life today while working on a boat at one of our city's wastewater resource recovery facilities. This devoted public servant gave 33 years of service to New York City, and our hearts go out to his family, friends, and colleagues during this painful time. At this time, there is no suspicion of criminality and no impact on the facility. The safety and well-being of our city's workforce, and all New Yorkers, is always our top priority, and we are committed to fully supporting an investigation and ensuring that every possible measure is taken to prevent such tragedies in the future."

No criminality is suspected.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation. ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) was also on the scene.