Blast on Sewage Tanker in Harlem Leaves One Dead, Two Injured

 

On Saturday, an explosion aboard a sewage tanker killed one worker and injured two others at a pier in Harlem, prompting a large-scale response from the New York Fire Department. 

At about 1030 hours that morning, three employees of the New York City Department of Environmental Protection - the shipowner - were at work on the deck of the municipal sludge vessel Hunts Point, which was moored at a treatment plant in Harlem at West 138th Street. A blast occurred on deck, likely while the workers were conducting hot work. The explosion sprayed raw sewage all over the deck, and the blast was forceful enough to blow one worker over the starboard rail. The victim's body was trapped between the ship and the pier, and first responders had to perform a technical extrication to recover the remains, FDNY deputy assistant chief David Simms told local Fox 5.

The two survivors were taken to a hospital for treatment; after the scene was secured, all the FDNY first responders underwent decontamination because of the risk of exposure to untreated sewage.

The deceased has been identified as Raymond Feige, a 33-year veteran of the DEP.

"Ray was a respected engineer and a steady, beloved colleague who will be deeply missed," NYC DEP Commissioner Rohit Aggarwala said in a statement. "For more than three decades he worked at DEP in a job that is largely unseen by most New Yorkers but is critical to keeping the city running, and we are grateful for his service."

The cause of the casualty is under investigation.