Nightmare on the F train in NYC subway
NEW YORK (FOX5NY) - Passengers described panic and dangerous health conditions due to sweltering heat after a subway train lost power and got stuck for more than an hour during the Monday evening rush hour. They were trapped in a sweltering underground tunnel with no air conditioning or light.
Passengers were left clawing at the door in a panicked effort to escape when the train was finally pushed into another station with the power still being out.
The F train was stopped for about 45 minutes and passengers say they were not informed about what was going on with the delay.
Michael Sciaraffo was on the train. He recounted the situation on Twitter saying that after a period of no communication, "people started getting very worried. We started to tell everyone to open the side windows and open the doors the three inches we could pry it open to, with books, to get the cross ventilation from the passing trains."
He said some people started taking shirts and pants off. He said one lady even disrobed while others shielded her with a coat.
He said there was a pregnant woman on the train and several elderly people that started feeling faint.
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"Claustrophobia, panic and heat exhaustion began to set in for many folks," Sciaraffo stated.
He said they weren't told what had happened for 30 minutes after the event started unfolding.
Passengers were still stuck on the train for another 10 minutes after it was pushed into the station because the doors wouldn't open.
Video posted to social media showed passengers attempting to claw and pry the train's doors open so they could get out onto the platform.
The MTA said the incident is under investigation.