Three people got into a fight on the Port Authority Bus Terminal's main concourse near a cluster of ticket counters
Two were slashed, one in the head
The terminal was evacuated just before 9pm, people were allowed back in as of 11pm
It is only one block from Times Square
By Ryan Gorman The Port Authority Bus Terminal – one block from Times Square – was evacuated New Year’s Eve after multiple people were slashed only hours before midnight.
The busy transit hub plunged into chaos Tuesday night just before 9pm when three people began fighting on the terminal's main concourse near the ticket counters - two males, 47 and 61-years-old, were slashed. Police were allowing people back into the terminal as of 11pm.
An FDNY spokesperson told MailOnline that two people were transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. A Port Authority spokesperson said one person was transported to a hospital.
The Port Authority spokesperson said the wounds were non-life-threating slash marks - 'they were not puncture wounds.'
Port Authority Police believe the attack was carried out with a razor or a box cutter and not a knife.
'In port authority and some random guy just started stabbing people,' Twitter user Chase wrote. 'A bunch of people are currently hiding in the girls bathroom. Oh god.'
Witness Natalie Morales told the New York Daily News her uncle became involved in an altercation and came out of the bathroom with blood coming out of his face and neck.
Another witness claimed to the paper he tried to break up the fight but was unsuccessful.
A source told MailOnline the three suspects likely knew each other, but was not able to confirm a New York Post report the suspects were homeless.
The suspect is described as a Hispanic male wearing army fatigues, he escaped and is still at large, the Port Authority spokesperson noted.
The evacuation was mostly calm and orderly, a witness told MailOnline. An announcement came over the bus terminal’s public address system and people filed out as instructed.
‘[It was] seemingly quick and well orchestrated, led by posted troops,’ said Michael Gasiorek. ‘[The] only concern was crowd buildup outside.’
That calmness evaporated once outside, as officers were surprised by the masses of people pouring out of the bus terminal, Mr Gasiorek explained.
'We just evacuated, is there a plan?' He said he asked police.
'Plan? Get away from the building,' the officer responded.
It is not clear how long the evacuation order lasted, but it had been lifted as of 11pm, according to a Post Authority spokesperson.
The Port Authority Bus Terminal is on 42nd Street at Eighth Avenue, one block from Times Square and across the street from police checkpoints regulating the flow of revelers into and out of the ball drop zone.
Security in and around Times Square is tight for New Year's Eve, with multiple agencies from the city, state and federal level keeping watch over the more than one million people packed into the small area.
More than 225,000 people course in and out of the bus station every day. It is a major transit hub with connections to 14 subway lines and buses with both regional and national reach.
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