Man, 59, dead in boat explosion on Hudson River in upper Manhattan
First responders rushed to the site of a small explosion on a docked boat around 10:34 a.m. on the Hudson River near W. 138th St. where a 59-year-old city employee was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident — next to a West Harlem sewage-treatment plant — was linked to 'hot work,' possibly welding, aboard a city Department of Environmental Protection-owned vessel named the Hunts Point, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and cops.
Another DEP employee on the vessel was taken to the hospital. A third employee refused medical treatment at the scene.
'The entire DEP family is grieving today,' DEP Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala said in a statement on X. 'Our employee who lost his life had served the department and the city with dedication for 33 years. 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.'
According to reports, the ship was carrying raw sewage.
Operations at the waste-treatment plant were not affected, according to DEP.
'No pollution reported in the Hudson River following this morning's explosion near the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant,' the Coast Guard said on X. 'The situation is stable. FDNY leads the response. Coast Guard crews remain on scene supporting the response.'
The cause of the accident is still being investigated.
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