A freak steam leak injured a Bedford Park man who reportedly suffered burns all over his body, emergency services said.

 

According to an FDNY official, the incident was reported from inside a 5-story building at 2857 Valentine Avenue at East 198th Street. The FDNY initially reported that the man suffered “major” burns during the incident which took place at 7.20 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 17. The department later said the unidentified victim was transported to Jacobi Hospital in Morris Park with non-life-threatening injuries.

 

When contacted about the incident, David Maggiotto, deputy press secretary at NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) told Norwood News, “DOB did not respond to this incident, so we have no info to report.” Maggiotto was asked what type of scenario would prompt a DOB response. He replied, “In an emergency situation, first responders are called to the scene. If first responders determine they should call DOB, or another city agency, then DOB or the other agency that is called will respond.”

 

One resident of the area who only knows the victim by sight later recalled, “That day, I was supposed to go to work and I was coming out at like seven in the morning and I saw him with the firemen, and he had burns, and there was smoke coming out of his window of the building.” [The FDNY later confirmed it was steam.]

 

Asked where on his body the man had been burned, the resident replied, “He was all burned. Yeah, his face, his hands, his neck, his ears. He went to the hospital the same day.” The unidentified girlfriend of the victim told WPIX News that after the steam shot out of the radiator, the man threw himself through a window and landed on the fire escape. The girlfriend also said the steam leak took place just after they had made a complaint about having no heat.

 

A day before the incident, New York City Council had held a hearing on radiator safety during which Councilwoman Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14) introduced ‘Intro 925’ which calls for additional steam radiator inspections. Sanchez said at the hearing, “In December 2016, an unspeakable tragedy occurred when a radiator system steam leak claimed the lives of two sisters in The Bronx.” The incident took place in Hunts Point, as reported by NBC News. Sanchez also said that a third child was killed by a steam leak earlier this year in Brooklyn.

 

If passed, the bill would require annual inspections of radiators and landlords would be required to make needed repairs within seven days. Norwood News reached out to the building manager, believed to be CSC Corporation Services, the name displayed in the lobby of the affected building, and attempted to reach the building’s owner, believed to be Prime Residential Bronx, LLC, the name also displayed in the building.

 

Both are located at 80 State Street, Albany, NY. No telephone or email was available on Prime Residential’s website. We called the number provided for CSC Corporation a few times and the line appeared to be constantly busy. We will update the story if any new information is obtained.