NEW YORK  - One worker was killed and two others injured on Saturday in an explosion on a boat carrying sewage that was docked on the Hudson River in New York, local authorities said.

The explosion, which occurred near the North River Wastewater Treatment Plant, happened at about 10:30 am local time (1430 GMT) on a motorized city vessel that transports raw sewage, New York Fire Department Deputy Assistant Chief David Simms said at a press conference Saturday.

First responders found a 59-year-old man unconscious in the river, New York police said, and he was declared dead at the scene.

The man was identified as a "dedicated" worker from the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, ABC News reported, citing a statement from the department.

Another employee was taken to the hospital and a third refused medical treatment at the scene, according to Simms.

The cause of the explosion is under investigation but New York City Mayor said in a statement there is "no suspicion of criminality."

The boat explosion occurred one week after a Mexican Navy ship crashed into New York City's Brooklyn Bridge on May 17. Two people were killed and more than a dozen others injured in the accident.