Vacuum train blaze at Astor Place injures MTA staff and firefighters

At approximately 2:15 a.m. on Tuesday, a vacuum train tasked with clearing debris ignited inside Astor Place subway station in Manhattan's NoHo district. The FDNY dispatched a second-alarm response involving 46 units to control the blaze. Six Metropolitan Transportation Authority employees and five firefighters required hospitalization, though the department did not disclose their conditions; one MTA worker was evaluated at the scene and refused care.

Service on the number 4 and number 6 lines was halted between Grand Central-42 St. and Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall while crews dealt with the fire. Riders were urged to switch to the M15, M102, or M103 buses, or to use the N, Q, or R subway lines as alternatives. The situation remains under investigation.