On Monday morning (September 22), a large-scale fuel leak incident occurred near East 30th Street on Manhattan’s First Avenue, causing the entire street to become extremely slippery. This led to vehicles skidding and bicycles falling over, exacerbating the traffic congestion in Midtown that was already heavy due to the United Nations General Assembly.
According to Gothamist, the incident took place around 11:45 a.m. when a tanker truck from Approved Oil company was conducting fuel delivery operations and a problem occurred with the fuel pipe connected to a building, resulting in a significant fuel leak onto the road surface. The leaked fuel quickly spread, making the street extremely slick, causing cyclists to lose control and slip.
The accident happened during the United Nations General Assembly, exacerbating the already unbearable congestion in the East Side streets. This unforeseen event further paralyzed the traffic in the vicinity of First Avenue. The New York City Fire Department and the Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Team (Hazmat) immediately arrived at the scene, cordoning off the area and undertaking emergency measures. The cleanup efforts included spreading sand to absorb the oil spill, washing the streets, and deodorizing the area. Personnel from the State Department of Environmental Conservation also arrived to investigate the incident.
After several hours of handling, the affected section of the road reopened for traffic around 2 p.m. Currently, officials are still investigating the exact cause of the incident and determining liability. The oil transportation company and relevant organizations have not issued a comprehensive statement regarding the incident.