RENSSELAER, N.Y. (AP) - Authorities say a man is lucky to be alive after he survived an explosion that destroyed a gas tanker repair business at the Port of Rensselaer in New York’s capital region.
Firefighters were dispatched to an area of the port off Riverside Avenue around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday following reports of the blast.
An older man was pressurizing a tanker truck when something caused the fumes to ignite and create the explosion.
The blast was so powerful that the garage doors at the front and back of the building were blown off. The structure’s roof was also damaged, with just its skeleton remaining.
The building has been deemed a total loss. The employee, who was unharmed, was walking around the property when fire crews arrived.
No neighboring businesses were impacted.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.