Nearly 100 passengers rescued from disabled J train on elevated platform in Queens

FDNY rescues riders from stranded J train

The FDNY had to rescue riders from a disabled J train on an elevated part of the track in Queens on Tuesday afternoon.

QUEENS, N.Y. - The FDNY rescued around 100 people off of a disabled MTA train in Jamaica, Queens.

At around 2:45 p.m., riders on the train heading from Jamaica Center to 121st Street in Queens said they heard a loud bang and the ear-splitting sound of metal scraping against metal, followed by the smell of smoke.

"We saw something flying from the very back cart," said one rider, "and all of us were scared, and we were like what’s going on. People thought the track was broken."

SkyFOX view: Crews reach disabled train

The view from SkyFOX where rescue crews are working to help those stuck aboard a disabled MTA train in Jamaica, Queens.

MTA says the train experienced mechanical issues near 131st and forced them to call firefighters, who used a ladder to board the train and evacuate passengers.

One rider reported that they waited three hours to get out of the disabled train, without any direction from the MTA or the conductors.