Worker killed in sewage boat explosion on New York City’s Hudson River

By Mark Prussin, Adi Guajardo

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    NEW YORK (WCBS) — An explosion Saturday morning aboard a sewage boat docked on New York City’s Hudson River killed one city worker and injured two others, officials said.

Three Department of Environmental Protection employees were working on the vessel docked at the North River Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility in West Harlem when the explosion occurred at about 10:30 a.m. Eastern time, New York City Fire Department Deputy Assistant Chief David Simms told reporters.

Video captured heavy black smoke billowing into the air.

One DEP employee was pronounced dead at the scene of the explosion, Simms said, which occurred near 135th Street in Upper Manhattan. Two others were taken to area hospitals. There conditions were not provided.

“Upon arrival, units discovered a large explosion had occurred in one of the holds on the tank,” Simms said. “This vessel transports raw sewage from New York City to the sewage treatment plant.”

The deceased victim “was blown by the force of the explosion in between the pier and the vessel, itself,” Simms disclosed.

One person who was driving in the area told CBS News New York he felt the ground shake.

“I smell something and I am not knowing exactly what it is and then next thing you know, boom,” David Simon said. “I’m thinking something just hit the floor because trucks drop their load and cause vibration throughout the park. As I get closer up here, I’m hearing there is an explosion to a boat.”

Simms said the cause of the explosion is under investigation. The U.S. Coast Guard wrote on X that the “incident” was “reportedly linked to hot work aboard a docked boat.”

New York City Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement that, “At this time, there is no suspicion of criminality and no impact on the facility.”

DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala said in a statement the worker killed served the city for more than three decades. His name was not immediately released.

“The entire DEP family is grieving today,” Aggarwala said, adding, “He was a valued and experienced member of the Bureau of Wastewater Treatment, and his decades of service reflect his commitment to DEP’s mission.”

In his statement, Adams said that he was “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.”

There does not appear to be any environmental impact from the explosion at this time, a city official told CBS News New York.

The U.S. Coast Guard wrote in a social media post that no pollution had been reported in the Hudson following the explosion, describing the “situation as stable.”

The plant’s operations were not affected, officials said.

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