NEW YORK, July 29 (UPI) -- A small explosion at a BP gas station in New York set off fire extinguishers, coating cars, pumps and customers with fire-retardant chemicals, authorities said.
Three people in the lot at the Brooklyn filling station got showered with the green goop when it rained down Wednesday morning, the New York Daily News reported.
"It was crazy! It first poured out like it was water, and then turned into a huge white cloud," said Henry Pacheco, 29, a moving company worker who had just bought a lottery ticket at the station.
Pacheco said he removed his shirt to cover his face, then ran to help a female customer who "disappeared" into the foam.
"Neither of us could breathe," he said. "It was this sour, awful smell that clogged your nose and throat."
Fire department officials said the customers were decontaminated and taken to a hospital. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.
"We have no idea what set it off," station manager Awad Rashid said. "It was a freak accident."
