In the early hours of this morning, an alarming incident occurred on a northbound subway near Times Square. A man, believed to be homeless and aged 55, was set ablaze while he slept on the train. "The victim got off the train at 42nd Street," CBS News reported, whereupon an MTA worker immediately alerted nearby police officers.
According to the NYPD, emergency responders rushed the man to the hospital with burns on his legs, though he is expected to survive. As per the details given by The New York Post, originally responding to a 911 call about an assault, police found the victim on the platform after he had leapt from the carriage of the northbound 1 train.
The incident raised immediate concerns about safety in the city's transit system, with Times Square's subway hub being a particularly busy nexus point. With no description of the suspect released by the police and no arrests made, authorities are investigating whether the act was one of malice or a tragic accident. The NYPD is probing the situation, and they have not discounted the possibility that the man might have accidentally set himself on fire.
Onlookers on the platform witnessed the aftermath, as the half-naked victim received treatment before being carried to Weill Cornell Medical Center in stable condition. Despite the violent nature of events, captured on platform surveillance, police sources told The New York Post that they are probing whether someone attacked the man or if he happened to set himself alight.
The NYPD is seeking information from anyone who may have witnessed the event or who has knowledge pertaining to this case. It's been urged that tips should be submitted to the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) for English speakers, or 1-888-57-PISTA (74782) for Spanish speakers. Tips can also be submitted confidentially through their website.
