It’s a concern that’s crossed the mind of every commuter: The subway you’re riding in could suddenly screech to a halt and lock you underground.
That scary scenario played out Monday night for hundreds of riders on a Brooklyn-bound 4 train that became trapped under the East River.
Shortly after leaving Manhattan, the train jolted to a stop around 9:30 p.m. Passengers reported hearing an “explosion” before smoke filled the cars.
Riders were stuck in a tunnel beneath tons of river water, between Manhattan’s Bowling Green and Brooklyn’s Borough Hall stations.
Steven Thrasher of The Village Voice, who was on the train, wrote that the man next to him pulled on a gas mask. Others put clothes over their faces to shield them from the smoke.
Passengers were stuck as they waited for word from the conductor, according to reports.
At about 10 p.m., straphangers were led off the stranded subway by firefighters and boarded a rescue train that brought them back into Manhattan.
Follow Alison Bowen on Twitter @AlisonatMetro.
