Grand Central shuts down as fire sparks massive emergency response
Three people have been injured in a fire at New York City's Grand Central Station, as the blaze sparked a huge emergency response during morning rush hour.
FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker said two firefighters and one civilian were treated for 'non life-threatening injuries' after an inferno broke out in the iconic station's basement at around 8.15am on Tuesday.
'It took several hours and about a hundred or more firefighters to locate an electrical fire in the deep basement along the 300-level tracks of the Long Island Rail Road,' Tucker told a press conference at midday.
He said firefighters battled through 'heavy smoke' and the blaze has now been extinguished. It's unclear what the electrical fault was which caused the fire. It sparked widespread travel chaos as several train lines were suspended and roads surrounding Manhattan's 42nd Street and Park Avenue were closed off.
The MTA's Long Island Rail Road X account said several branches have been diverted from Grand Central to Atlantic Terminal due to the blaze. More than 750,000 people travel through Grand Central Terminal each day, and the vaulted marble station is also a major tourist attraction.
Seven New York City subway lines pass through Grand Central via 67 tracks and 44 platforms, along with three Metro-North railroad lines and the LIRR.
The FDNY shared photographs of firefighters gathering on one platform, and of responders using a flashlight to peer down a tunnel at a stopped train. Tucker said firefighters were confronted by lashing flames and 'zero visibility'.
He praised the response and said he was grateful that no one had been severely hurt. 'NYC Emergency Management and FDNY remain on site, and ventilation fans are in operation to clear smoke,' NYUC Emergency Management said.
'The situation is developing, and further changes to service may occur as emergency response continues.' According to the LIRR, eight branches have been re-routed or suspended.
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