Crews were working to contain an oxygen leak that started after a man jumped from a building at the back of Mount Sinai Hospital on the Upper West Side early Friday, police said. Tracie Strahan reports.
Crews have stopped an oxygen leak at an Upper West Side hospital Friday morning, hours after a man jumped to his death and ruptured a pressurized pipe in the process, authorities say.
Authorities say a 31-year-old man jumped from a building adjacent to the Mount Sinai West hospital complex around 6 a.m. and hit the pressurized oxygen line, sparking the leak.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Hazmat crews initially responded to the leak, but a private oxygen vendor was working on the oxygen line as the morning wore on. Portable oxygen supplies were expected to be used until permanent repairs could be made, but the leak was closed within about half an hour.
There was a large emergency presence at the hospital Friday morning over concern that the leak was affecting oxygen needed in the hospital.
Emergency room operations were affected and the hospital diverted incoming patients until 6 a.m.
"There was no adverse impact to other hospital operations or patient care, and the hospital's oxygen supply system remains fully functional," a statement from the hospital said.
Local
West 59th Street was closed to cars and pedestrians between Ninth and 10th avenues Friday morning.
The hospital was not evacuated.
