One dead in New York sewage-boat explosion on Hudson River
One man died on Saturday morning after an explosion on a boat carrying raw sewage that was docked on the Hudson River in New York, US authorities said.
Another worker on the city-owned Hunts Point vessel was injured and taken to the hospital after the blast around 10.30 am (local time) near the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to city Fire Department Deputy Assistant Chief David Simms. A third worker refused medical treatment.
The boat takes raw sewage to be treated, Simms said.
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In this image from video provided by WACB-TV, homes are seen across the Hudson River from the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant, foreground, in New York, after an explosion on a boat carrying raw sewage. AP
The men on the boat were doing work involving a flame or sparks when the explosion happened, the US Coast Guard said on social media.
First responders answering a 911 call found a 59-year-old man unconscious in the river, and he was declared dead at the scene, New York police said.
The explosion happened near the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The blast spread raw sewage over the deck of the boat, and firefighters and other first responders had to be decontaminated, Simms said.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the explosion. The man's name was not released.
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