NEW YORK – A possible pepper spray accident at the Union Square subway station devastated public transportation on Friday, shutting down more than half a dozen train lines and sending people running out of Manhattan station as authorities investigated.
Firefighters and NYPDs responded en masse at Union Square station around 10:30 am after reporting more people had fallen ill. The service was disrupted on lines 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R, W and L for nearly 30 full minutes, the MTA said.
The video posted on the Citizen app showed stretches outside the station as people walked around.
Regular service resumed less than 90 minutes later, according to the MTA.
A spokesperson for the transit agency said “the cause of the incident that led to that response appears isolated,” but did not provide further details.
The investigation is ongoing.
