By CAROLYN THOMPSON and JENNIFER PELTZ (Associated Press)
NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. (AP) — New York Gov. Kathy Hochul stated there was “no indication of a terrorist attack” within the automobile crash and explosion that left two folks useless at a checkpoint on the American aspect of a U.S.-Canada bridge on Wednesday.
“Based on what we know at this moment,” she stated, “there is no sign of terrorist activity in this crash.”
The automobile was rushing from Niagara Falls, New York, towards the Rainbow Bridge. It connects the 2 international locations throughout the Niagara River. The incident prompted the closing of the border crossing and three others within the space.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story is beneath:
A automobile rushing towards a U.S.-Canada bridge from the American aspect crashed and exploded at a checkpoint in Niagara Falls on Wednesday, leaving two folks useless and prompting the closing of 4 border crossings within the space, authorities stated.
There was no rapid data on the reason for the incident, however it raised considerations on each side of the border. The White House stated President Joe Biden was “closely following developments,” and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated officers had been “taking this extraordinarily seriously.”
“This is obviously a very serious situation in Niagara Falls,” Trudeau stated in Parliament earlier than excusing himself from Question Period within the House of Commons to be briefed additional.
The two deceased folks had been within the automobile, a legislation enforcement official informed The Associated Press. The official was not licensed to debate particulars of the investigation publicly and spoke on situation of anonymity.
Aaron Ferguson, a spokesperson for the town of Niagara Falls, New York, stated the automobile was touring at excessive pace from that metropolis and crashed into the border station.
Jim Diodati, the mayor of Niagara Falls, Ontario, informed The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that what occurred gave the impression to be “an isolated incident.”
The U.S. FBI’s subject workplace in Buffalo and different businesses had been investigating the blast. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul traveled to Buffalo from the state capital, Albany.
The explosion occurred on the U.S. aspect of the Rainbow Bridge, which connects the 2 international locations throughout the Niagara River.
Photos and video taken by bystanders and posted on social media confirmed thick smoke, flames on the pavement and a safety sales space that had been singed. Videos confirmed that the fireplace was in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection space simply east of the primary automobile checkpoint. The company had no rapid remark.
Speaking to WGRZ-TV, witness Mike Guenther stated he noticed a automobile rushing towards the crossing from the U.S. aspect when it swerved to keep away from one other automotive, crashed right into a fence and exploded.
“All of a sudden, he went up in the air and then it was a ball of fire like 30 or 40 feet high,” Guenther informed the station. “I never saw anything like it.”
The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission known as the incident “a serious car crash.”
From inside Niagara Falls State Park, Melissa Raffalow stated she noticed “a huge plume of black smoke” stand up over the border crossing, roughly 50 yards (45 meters) away from the favored vacationer vacation spot. Raffalow informed AP in a message that police arrived quickly after, urging guests to disperse as they started cordoning off the road.
Raghu Bhattarai stated by telephone that he was inside his restaurant, the Niagara Tandoori Hut, close to the bridge when he heard a sound he described as a “boom.” A couple of minutes later, he noticed black smoke rising.
The bridge and three others between western New York and Ontario had been shortly closed as a precaution, and the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport started safety checks on all vehicles and informed passengers to count on extra screenings.
The security measures tied up site visitors on the airport and elsewhere on one of many busiest U.S. journey days of the yr, forward of the American Thanksgiving vacation.
Trudeau stated “additional measures” had been being contemplated and activated at border crossings throughout Canada. In Toronto, about 100 miles (about 160 kilometers) away, police stated they had been growing patrols as a precaution.
New York City police had been monitoring the information from Buffalo however already had boosted safety at varied spots due to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on Thursday.
The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission reported that every one 4 of its crossings — the others are Lewiston, Whirlpool and Peace Bridge — had been closed.
Sanchit Chatha, his spouse Reyshu and their 13-year-old daughter, Trisha, had stopped in Niagara Falls for lunch en route dwelling to Toronto from Buffalo after they began getting information notifications in regards to the explosion. Worried pals known as, realizing the household was within the space.
Trisha was involved at seeing the bridges to Canada shut down, her mom stated.
“She has a math test tomorrow,” the mom defined because the household waited to search out out when the crossings would open.
About 6,000 autos cross the Rainbow Bridge every day, in response to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory. About 5% is truck site visitors, in response to the federal information.
The bridge, constructed in 1941, is simply over 1,440 toes (439 meters) lengthy and has a primary span constructed of metal, in response to the info.
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Associated Press writers Michael Balsamo, Deepti Hajela and Jake Offenhartz in New York; Eric Tucker in Washington; Rob Gillies in Toronto; Anthony Izaguirre and Maysoon Khan in Albany, New York; and Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”