New York Sewage Tanker Explosion Kills One, Injures Two

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that unapproved hot work caused the May 24, 2025, explosion aboard New York City’s sludge vessel Hunts Point. The vessel was moored at the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant on Manhattan’s Hudson River when methane generated by sludge ignited above a cargo tank, overpressurizing it. Chief Marine Engineer Raymond Feige, 59, was killed, while three crewmembers sustained minor injuries, according to the NTSB’s final report issued July 15, 2026. The vessel suffered more than $10 million in damage, but no pollution was reported. New York City’s Department of Environmental Protection initially said methane ignition was likely and confirmed facility operations were not disrupted. The NTSB found that a propane torch was used without approval to heat a seized bolt near a cargo-tank opening. The incident underscores hazards of hot work around methane-producing wastewater sludge and provides a federal safety finding for municipal marine operations.