Hudson River boat explosion: One worker critically injured, another rescued

The Hudson River boat explosion took place on a barge near West 138th Street in NYC, leaving one worker fighting for life and another rescued.

Hudson River boat explosion leaves one worker fighting for his life, while another was rescued after being thrown into the water near West 138th Street in New York City. The blast occurred around 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant, and was reportedly triggered by methane igniting due to a malfunction on the vessel. Thankfully, the explosion did not cause a fire, but emergency crews rushed to the scene to assist those affected.

An explosion on a barge near West 138th Street in NYC left one worker fighting for life and another rescued.(Representative Image: Unsplash )

One worker injured, another rescued from the Hudson River 

One of the workers on the barge was critically injured in the explosion, authorities said. The other man was thrown into the Hudson River by the explosion and became trapped between the vessel and the dock before being rescued by emergency crews. In addition, unconfirmed reports also emerged about a third injured worker who refused the treatment, as reported by the Daily Mail. 

Helicopters were spotted hovering over the site of the explosion, while numerous emergency responders were also seen navigating a narrow gangway to reach the barge and assist further in the situation. The hazmat crew also arrived at the site to decontaminate the vessel and assess the methane levels, along with addressing of sludge and oil in the surrounding water.

Hudson River helicopter crash 

The barge explosion comes just over a month after a tragic helicopter crash in the Hudson River that claimed six lives, including three children. The victims were a family of tourists from Spain and their pilot, according to New York City Mayor Eric Adams. 

The victims of the Hudson River helicopter crash were identified as Agustín Escobar, a Siemens executive; his wife, Mercè Camprubí Montal; and their three young children, aged 10, 8, and 4. The pilot, 36-year-old Navy veteran Sean Johnson, was also killed. The sightseeing flight, operated by New York Helicopter Tours, ended in tragedy when a mechanical failure caused the Bell 206 helicopter to break apart mid-air and crash near Jersey City.