Explosion on barge in Hudson: Worker dies, cause unclear!

Explosion on barge in Hudson: Worker dies, cause unclear!

On Saturday morning, May 24, 2025, there was a tragic explosion on a boat in the Hudson River near New York. A 59-year-old worker who was doing welding work on the barge lost his life. The explosion occurred around 10:30 a.m. local time and was suspected to be caused by methane that ignited as a result of a welding defect. Despite the explosion, no fire occurred. First responders found the man unconscious in the river, where he was pronounced dead at the scene. Two other workers suffered minor injuries and had to be taken to hospital. Police have begun an investigation into the cause of the explosion while the barge, operated by the Environmental Protection Agency, was transporting raw sewage to the sewage treatment plant. This information was provided by crown provided.

However, the tragedy on the Hudson River is not limited to this incident. A similar accident occurred in April 2025, when a Bell 206 LongRanger IV helicopter crashed during a sightseeing flight. The helicopter, operated by New York Helicopter and taking off from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, experienced an in-flight breakup, causing the main rotor to break off and the aircraft to plunge into the water at a 45-degree angle. All six people on board, including five Spanish tourists and the pilot, were killed.

The helicopter crash

The crash occurred on April 10, 2025. The occupants were Agustín Escobar, CEO of Siemens Mobility, his wife Mercè Camprubí Montal and their three children aged 10, 8 and 4. The pilot, Seankese Johnson, a 36-year-old Navy veteran, joined them on the scenic flight over New York. Shortly after a turn, the pilot lost control of the helicopter, which ultimately crashed. Emergency responders found the helicopter underwater; four of the occupants were pronounced dead immediately, while two others died later at Jersey City Medical Center. Parts of the helicopter were recovered between April 11 and 14 and the FAA and NTSB have begun investigations into the cause of the accident, according to Wikipedia documented.

The investigation found that visibility at the time of the crash was up to 10 miles and the water temperature was just 10°C. It is noteworthy that the helicopter was not equipped with flight data recorders, which complicated the investigation. Senator Chuck Schumer and other political appointees called for a review of New York Helicopter's operations, and the company's CEO, Michael Roth, fired the operations manager after a request from the FAA.

Reactions and future perspectives

The last few months have brought great sadness not only for the families of those tragically deceased on the helicopter, but also for the employees and relatives of the man who died in the Hudson River explosion. Prominent reactions, including those from the president and the mayor of New York, were compared to the regret expressed by Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez over the "unimaginable tragedy." Such accidents raise questions about aviation safety standards, especially since helicopter flights in New York are very common for tourists and business people, according to a report by 20 minutes was highlighted.