A fire aboard a work train traveling through the New York City subway system filled the Astor Place station in Manhattan's East Village with heavy smoke overnight, injuring a dozen Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) workers and firefighters while disrupting subway service.
Emergency crews responded after the blaze sent thick smoke through the station, prompting the suspension of nearby subway operations and a large-scale rescue effort, ABC News reports.
"A lot of heavy smoke, not only at street level but also at the station level," FDNY Assistant Chief Tom Currao told reporters during a press conference.
Currao said seven MTA subway workers were treated for smoke inhalation, while five firefighters also sustained injuries during the response.
According to fire officials, a northbound passenger train entered the station as the work train caught fire. Passengers were safely evacuated with the assistance of firefighters, and no injuries were reported among those aboard the train.
The city's emergency notification system warned commuters to expect delays on Brooklyn-bound 4 and 6 subway lines as crews worked to contain the incident and clear the affected tracks.
Transit officials expressed optimism that service could be restored before the morning rush hour once the damaged work train was removed.
"As soon as the fire department clears the train, we should be able to move that train, because it's an electrical unit and get it out of the way relatively quick," Currao said. "There will be residual delays but we are actually in place to start morning service, rush hour traffic."
By Vafa Guliyeva
