DEP identifies long-time worker killed in New York sewage-boat explosion on Hudson River
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the explosion, police said.
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One person is dead and two others were injured after a ship exploded Saturday morning on the Hudson River.
The Department of Environment Protection has identified the victim as Raymond Feige, a long-time employee in the marine section of the department.
It happened around 10:30 a.m. on a New York City-owned sewage transport boat that was docked at the wastewater treatment plant near West 135th Street.
“There’s a lot of construction going around in the neighborhood, but this is a noise that was beyond anything else I've heard,” said Mark Massimi, of Harlem.
The U.S. Coast Guard said city employees were working with a flame or spark when the barge exploded.
“It sounded like something landing really heavy,” Massimi said. “Then the fire trucks started flying by.”
The FDNY said they discovered the explosion in one of the hulls of the tank.
Two city employees were hurt.
A third worker, a 59-year-old man, died at the scene.
“Unfortunately, [he] was blown by the force of the explosion in between the pier and the vessel itself,” said FDNY Assistant Deputy Chief David Simms.
As of Saturday night, officials had not released that employee's name, but they said the 59-year-old dedicated 33 years of service to the city’s Department of Environmental Protection.
Mayor Eric Adams released a statement on X, writing that his “heart goes out to the family, friends, and colleagues during this painful time.”
As for the cleanup, the FDNY said personnel had to be decontaminated due to the sewage on deck.
The Coast Guard said there is no pollution reported in the Hudson River.
“I’ve never seen anything like that or heard anything like that,” said Massimi.
The exact cause of the explosion is still under investigation.
