Two people died after a vehicle exploded at a US-Canadaborder crossing at Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, on Wednesday 22 November.
The car was attempting to enter Canada from the United States when it sped toward a checkpoint, crashed into a fence and erupted “into a fireball” just before midday, according to witnesses.
Video footage and photos showed flames and thick black smoke billowing from the checkpoint, and a security booth that had been charred by flames.
The blast killed two, reportedly injured one Border Patrol officer and led to the closure of four border crossings between the US and Canada in New York state.
Within hours, investigators had ruled out that the car had been carrying explosives or was connected to terrorism.
The fatal explosion briefly threw Thanksgiving travel plans into chaos, as borders were closed and travel routes suspended.
Smoke billows from Niagara Falls border crossing at Rainbow Bridge— (Reuters)
What happened?
At 11.50am ET, the Rainbow Bridge was closed due to a “traffic event”, according to an incident alert from the Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition.
Witness Mike Guenther told NBC affiliate WGRZ-TV that he had been walking on the bridge when he saw a speeding car approach the border checkpoint, hit a fence and go airborne before exploding.
Another witness told reporters that he had seen the vehicle catch fire, before seeing black smoke and flames.
Ambulances arrived soon afterward to find the vehicle completely burned out. Two individuals travelling in the car died, officials said.
Thanksgiving travel impacted
The incident came at a time of heightened fears of a possible terror attack. Ms Hochul issued a warning days earlier that officials had detected increased chatter of a possible terror attack in the state due to unrest in the Middle East.
The White House said in a statement that President Biden was “closely following developments.” US Attorney General Merrick Garland was briefed on the unfolding situation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms also responded to the scene.
Mr Trudeau said officials in Canada were “taking this extraordinary seriously”.
“This is obviously a very serious situation in Niagara Falls,” Mr Trudeau told the Canadian Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.
The FBI’s Buffalo field office said in a statement it was leading the local, state and federal response until it determined there were no threats of terrorism. It then handed the investigation to the Niagara Falls Police Department.
Debris is scattered about inside the customs plaza at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing— (AP)
Officials closed four US-Canada border crossings in New York: the Rainbow Bridge, Peace Bridge, Whirlpool Bridge and Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.
Amtrak also temporarily suspended cross-border services between New York and Canada.
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo said it would close until after Thanksgiving “out of an abundance of caution”.
International departures and arrivals were paused at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It was reopened several hours later.
Travellers arriving at the airport were warned to expect additional screenings, while vehicles would undergo extra security checks.
“The Buffalo and Niagara Falls Airports are fully operational. We advise travelers to give themselves time for these extra precautions in addition to holiday travel,” the agency said on X.
Three of the four bridge crossings were reopened on Wednesday afternoon, with only the Rainbow Bridge still closed. It reopened on Thursday afternoon.
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority said security would be stepped up across the area.
Who were the two people killed in the blast?
Law enforcement sources told CNN on Wednesday night that the Rainbow Bridge crash is believed to have involved a local New York individual and a passenger who had planned to attend a KISS concert in Toronto, Canada.
The concert was cancelled earlier in the day due to frontman, Paul Stanley, falling ill with the flu.
Police identified the couple on Friday as Kurt P Villani and Monica Villani, both 53; they lived in Grand Island, New York. They are survived by two children, according to an obiturary for the husband’s father.
The Villanis own Gui’s Lumber, a business with eight locations across western New York.
In a statement to CBC, the business wrote: “We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all that [have] extended prayers, condolences and well wishes. We are deeply touched. At this point, we would request privacy so we may begin the process of healing.”
All bridges between New York state and Canada were closed after the explosion. Three were reopened hours later— (Getty Images)
Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino, owned and operated by The Seneca Nation, did not confirm if the car that crashed was present at their location but said they were cooperating with law enforcement, in a statement provided to The Independent.
“We have reviewed and provided information related to a vehicle that stopped at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino only for a matter of minutes shortly before the crash occurred,” the Seneca Nation said.
Reportedly, the couple’s car was speeding in a Bentley when the car rammed into the crossing.
Devastated friends, neighbours and loved ones in the upstate New York community of Grand Island have spoken out paying tribute to the Villannis.
The couple’s friend Chuck Meyer told WGRZ of his shock when he learned that the tragedy broadcast on national news involved those close to him.
“I got home yesterday (Wednesday). I didn’t know anything other than hearing things on the news about the border, and then saw that their driveway was filled up with all these cars,” he told the local outlet on Thursday.
“I thought, ‘Oh, they’re having Christmas or Thanksgiving early, and like, that’s really nice.’ And then about an hour later, heard the news and I’m like, ‘oh my God.’”
What caused the crash?
The cause of the Rainbow Bridge blast remains something of a mystery, with investigators now exploring whether a mechanical failure in the car could be to blame.
Robert Restaino, the mayor of Niagara Falls, told The New York Times that the Bentley the couple was driving in was an older model and may have experienced some sort of mechanical glitch that caused it to suddenly accelerate as it approached the border checkpoint.
However, a spokesperson for the American arm of Bentley Motors told the paper that the automaker was yet to hear from investigators about the incident.
Whatever the cause, getting to the bottom of what happened could take time as the car was effectively incinerated in the fireball blast.
Incident at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls— (via REUTERS)
On Thursday, Niagara Falls Police Department – which is now leading the investigation after the FBI found no signs of terrorism – carried out an accident reconstruction, including retracing the last known movements of the couple.
In a press conference on Wednesday evening, Ms Hochul said she would not go so far as to declare the blast an “accident” just yet as the probe continues but that the two people killed were local residents with no ties to terrorism. No other potential motive had been discovered.
“I want to be very, very clear to Americans and New Yorkers, at this time there is no indication of a terrorist attack,” Ms Hochul said.
She added: “Based on what is happening in the world, everyone is on edge. This is an international border. I won’t call it an accident yet. All we know is there was a horrific incident, a crash, a loss of life – but at this time: no known terrorism activity.”
The FBI’s Buffalo division also released a statement saying that no explosives had been found at the scene and that “no terrorism nexus was identified”.
The bureau said it had turned the investigation over to the Niagara Falls Police Department as a traffic investigation.
Ariana Baio, Rachel Sharp and Kelly Rissman contributed to this report.
