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Police Release Photo Of Man Wanted For Questioning In Deadly Subway Fire

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The NYPD wants your help finding a man wanted for questioning following a deadly subway fire Frida morning in Harlem.

Investigators had questioned a person of interest and are still working to determine whether the blaze was intentionally set.

Train operator Garrett Goble, 36, was killed in the fire.

Goble lived in Brooklyn. He was a member of the MTA for six years and leaves behind two children, including a 5-month-old.

The NYPD released a photo of the person they want to question.

Subway Fire Suspect
Police say this man is wanted for questioning in a deadly subway fire. (credit: NYPD)

Anyone with any information is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477), or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). You can also submit a tip via their website or on Twitter, @NYPDTips. All calls are kept confidential.

The inside of the second car of northbound 2 train was left totally destroyed by the fire. Seats and overhead lights were completely melted, with nothing left but metal and black ash in the aftermath.

The MTA says the train pulled into the 110th Street Central Park North station around 3 a.m. Friday with fire burning in the second car.

Watch: News Conference On Subway Fire

"Two employees on the train successfully evacuated passengers off the train and onto the platform," Interim New York City Transit President Sarah Feinberg said.

Firefighters also evacuated people who were on board a train that was behind the one that caught fire, and passengers were guided safely through the tunnel to an emergency exit, Feinberg said.

Unfortunately the train operator wasn't able to make it out alive. At least nine other people were injured, Feinberg said.

Subway Fire
(credit: Twitter/@TripleG_RTO)

Police indicated they believe the fire may have been connected to other incidents.

"Right now we're investigating several things. There were other fires that we are looking at that we have to see is connected to this on 86th Street and 96th Street, we're looking at that. We're also looking at a fire on 116th Street as we speak," said Deputy Chief Brian McGee of the NYPD. "This is a criminal investigation, absolutely."

The fires at 86th Street and 96th Street were on the platform. The fire at 116th Street was on street level, McGee said.

 

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