Explosion aboard tanker on Hudson River kills 1 worker, injures 2 others

A city worker with the Department of Environmental Protection was killed and two others were injured early Saturday in an explosion aboard a tanker on the Hudson River near the city sewage treatment plant in Upper Manhattan, city officials said.

The city-owned vessel exploded at about 10:30 a.m., by the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant off of 138th Street in Harlem, FDNY Deputy Assistant Chief David Simms said at a press conference.

The three injured workers were “operating the vessel,” Simms said, including one man who was flung in between the pier and the exploding vessel.

He later died of his injuries, Simms said. One of the other injured workers was taken to an area hospital, a DEP spokesperson said. The third refused medical attention at the scene. None of the workers was immediately identified.

In a statement, DEP Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala said the agency is mourning the death of the worker.

“Our employee who lost his life had served the Department and the City with dedication for 33 years,” Aggarwala said. “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.”.

Mayor Eric Adams said he was devastated by the news.

“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,” Adams said.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation, Simms said.

The North River plant is built on a 28-acre reinforced concrete platform over the Hudson River. The “roof” of the plant is the home of a sprawling recreational complex, Denny Farrell Riverbank State Park.

This story was updated with additional information.