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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Johana Bhuiyan (now); Maya Yang and Joanna Walters (earlier)

Vehicle explosion at US-Canada border shows no sign of terrorism, says New York governor – as it happened

FBI United States Canada Rainbow Bridge Niagara Falls The Associated Press

Summary

That’s all for our live updates today.

Here’s what’s happened so far:

  • Four border crossings between the US and Canada were closed after a vehicle exploded at a checkpoint on a bridge near Niagara Falls, killing two people.

  • New York governor Kathy Hochul said that after a preliminary investigation there was “no indication of a terrorist attack” in the explosion, which happened on the US side of the Rainbow Bridge.

  • Three of the four US-Canada crossings – the Lewiston, Whirlpool and Peace bridges – have been reopened after being temporarily shuttered. The Rainbow Bridge remains closed.

  • US Customs and Border Protection said it was working closely with the FBI and federal, state and local partners, and the White House said it was watching the situation closely.

  • Law enforcement officials have identified the registered owner of the vehicle involved in the explosion at Rainbow Bridge, according to authorities who spoke to CNN. Hochul said in a press briefing that it was an individual local to western New York.

  • The New York City police department sent NYPD officers upstate to “support efforts on the ground” following the explosion.

  • Several services were paused or otherwise halted. International arrivals and departures were halted at the Buffalo Niagara international airport, CNN reported the Federal Aviation Authority as saying. Amtrak suspended its services between New York and Canada.

You can find more in-depth coverage here:

Updated

Amtrak has temporarily suspended its services between New York and Canada, CNN reports.

According to CNN, Amtrak spokesperson Jason Abrams said:

Amtrak has temporarily suspended cross-border service between New York state and Canada. Amtrak regrets any inconvenience to our customers.

Updated

Toronto police announced they will be increasing directed patrols of uniformed officers throughout the city following the vehicle explosion at Rainbow Bridge, adding:

This is out of an abundance of caution and there are no known threats for the city of Toronto.

Updated

Though Rainbow Bridge remains closed, three other Buffalo crossings have been reopened, according to US Customs and Border Protection.

Updated

Kathy Hochul emphasized that although this information is preliminary, there is no evidence “at this time” to point to terrorist activity. She said based on her briefings with various law enforcement agencies, there are no clear signs of terrorism including any online chatter or any particular group claiming responsibility for the explosion.

Updated

New York governor Kathy Hochul says no sign of terrorist activity identified after crash

Hochul, who has been briefed by various law enforcement officials, said “there is no sign of terrorist activity with respect to this crash” at a press conference on Wednesday.

She said they had “identified that this is a local individual, a western New Yorker”. The investigation is still developing.

“The world is watching to find out what’s happening here,” she said, citing “high stress” around the Israel-Hamas war.

“All is well, we’re investigating, but based on the preliminary investigation there’s no sign of terrorist” activity in the crash, Hochul said.

Updated

New York governor Kathy Hochul is about to brief reporters on the vehicle explosion at Rainbow Bridge.

We will bring you her latest updates.

Law enforcement officials have identified the registered owner of the vehicle involved in the explosion at Rainbow Bridge, according to authorities who spoke to CNN.

The car came from the US and was traveling towards Canada, a law enforcement source and another source briefed on the investigation told the outlet. CNN reports:

Law enforcement officials have conducted a video canvass of the surrounding area in the hours since the incident occurred and found the car appears to have been at a nearby New York casino before the incident.

This is one reason officials are urging caution in labeling the explosion as an attempted terrorist attack, the law enforcement source said.

Updated

US senate majority leader and New York senator Chuck Schumer just announced that he has been briefed by the FBI on the incident at Rainbow Bridge.

Schumer tweeted:

“Initial reports indicate the two people killed were in the car but nothing’s been determined on their identity or motive.

They continue to investigate—law enforcement remains on heightened alert over Thanksgiving.”

A suitcase was found near the car involved in the explosion at the Rainbow Bridge but did not contain any explosives, the New York Times reports a law enforcement official saying.

“A law enforcement official briefed on the incident said investigators believed the explosion resulted from the impact of the collision. The car went airborne and struck a cement pillar, according to the official,” the New York Times reported.

Here is a map of the Rainbow Bridge area by the US-Canada border crossing where an explosion involving a vehicle occurred earlier today:

NYPD sends support to Buffalo following Rainbow Bridge explosion

The New York City police department has sent NYPD officers upstate to “support efforts on the ground” following the Rainbow Bridge explosion.

The NYPD said:

“The NYPD has been closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Buffalo after an explosion at the Rainbow Bridge, and we’ve already sent NYPD officers upstate to support efforts on the ground.

The NYPD and our partners have already enhanced security and the city is on heightened alert due to the upcoming holiday so the public will see increased security at locations across New York City, including entry and egress points into and out of the city.”

Updated

Here are more pictures and videos surfacing online of the vehicle explosion at Rainbow Bridge:

Updated

Senate majority leader and New York senator Chuck Schumer has announced that he is also “closely monitoring the situation” on the Rainbow Bridge crossing.

He wrote:

“I’m closely monitoring the situation on the Rainbow Bridge crossing between the US & Canada in Niagara Falls. Federal, state, & local law enforcement officials are on the ground and investigating. Follow guidance from emergency officials. Thank you to our brave first responders.”

International arrivals and departures have been halted at the Buffalo Niagara international airport, CNN reports the Federal Aviation Authority saying.

The airport also announced earlier that cars coming into the airport “will undergo security checks and travelers can expect additional screenings”.

Updated

Here are some images coming through the newswires of the explosion at Rainbow Bridge checkpoint:

Police block off the entrance to the Rainbow Bridge crossing.
Police block off the entrance to the Rainbow Bridge crossing. Photograph: Derek Gee/AP
Firefighters view the scene.
Firefighters view the scene. Photograph: Reuters
Emergency vehicles at the scene.
Emergency vehicles at the scene. Photograph: Reuters
Fire damage is visible to the customs plaza structure at the Rainbow Bridge crossing.
Fire damage is visible to the customs plaza structure at the Rainbow Bridge crossing. Photograph: Derek Gee/AP

Updated

Two dead in vehicle that exploded at Rainbow Bridge, official tells AP

Two people in the vehicle that exploded at the Rainbow Bridge crossing between the US and Canada have been declared dead, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press.

The Associated Press reports:

Two people were found dead in a vehicle that exploded at a checkpoint on the American side of a US-Canada bridge in Niagara Falls Wednesday, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press.

The official was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

Updated

What we know so far

Here’s a look at what we know so far about the explosion at Rainbow Bridge:

  • The FBI and law enforcement agencies are investigating a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge, an international bridge connecting the US and Canada.

  • The cause of the explosion is not clear yet but images have come out of the explosion showing debris and fire near the international bridge.

  • The White House has been briefed on the explosion and is monitoring the situation. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has also been briefed and is monitoring it.

  • Canadian officials held a briefing on the explosion. Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s public safety minister, declined to comment on the cause of the crash as they did not have “reliable verified information.”

  • Four border crossings, including the Rainbow Bridge, have now been closed, Trudeau said. Trudeau added that additional security is being contemplated at other border crossing sites.

  • Two male occupants in the vehicle involved in the explosion are deceased, CNN reported.

  • A witness that saw the crash said the vehicle involved looked like it was traveling “over 100 miles an hour.”

There appear to be conflicting reports on whether the explosion was terrorism-related.

According to four law enforcement officials speaking to NBC, no explosives were found in the vehicle that crashed into the checkpoint. Law enforcement officials are not calling this incident terrorism, NBC reports.

Meanwhile, Fox News reports that “according to high-level police sources, the explosion was an attempted terrorist attack” and that “a lot of explosives [were] in the vehicle at the time”.

Canada’s CTV News is reporting national security sources saying that government officials are operating under the assumption that the incident is terrorism-related.

It added that officials are trying to determine if this is an isolated incident.

Updated

The US Transportation Security Administration has released the following statement on the developments at Rainbow Bridge, CNN reports:

“TSA and the department of homeland security are in close and ongoing touch with all partners and continue to monitor the situation and may adjust security postures as or when necessary.”

Here is testimony from a witness on the Rainbow Bridge explosion.

Describing the movement of the vehicle involved in the explosion, the witness said:

“My wife and I were walking down Main Street here and the car was coming … over 100 miles an hour. We could hardly see him, he was going that quick.

There was a car in front of him, he swerved around it and then it looked like he hit the fence and this fire started. And then all of a sudden, he went up in the air and then it was a ball of fire like 30, 40 ft high… [The car] was going towards Canada.”

Updated

Two occupants of vehicle have died, CNN reports

There were two occupants in the vehicle involved in the explosion at Rainbow Bridge who have died, CNN reports.

Canadian and US officials are still investigating the cause of the explosion.

Updated

Four border crossings closed, Justin Trudeau says

Four border crossings are closed, the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said.

The closed border crossings are Rainbow Bridge, Whirlpool Bridge, Queenston Bridge and Peace Bridge, said Trudeau.

“Additional measures are being contemplated and activated at all border crossings across the country. We are taking this extraordinarily seriously,” he added.

Updated

Canadian officials are now holding a briefing.

Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s public safety minister said:

“It’s a source of concern for the government of Canada and for the United States so we’re taking this circumstance very seriously but to speculate on the origin of this particular circumstance … when we don’t have reliable verified information is not responsible.”

Updated

White House monitoring situation

The White House has been briefed on the situation at the Rainbow Bridge checkpoint and is closely monitoring the situation, CNN reports.

The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has also been briefed and is aware of the developing situation, CNN adds.

Updated

Here is the statement released by the FBI on the investigation at the Rainbow Bridge:

Fox News is reporting that the explosion at the US-Canada road crossing at Niagara Falls is an attempted terrorist attack, citing unnamed sources, Reuters reports.

The news agency further reports that Fox, again citing unnamed sources, is saying that two people who were in the car that exploded are dead and a border agent is injured.

Neither Reuters nor the Guardian has independently verified this information. We’ll bring you developments as they happen.

Meanwhile, the office of the mayor of Niagara Falls, New York, Robert Restaino, a Democrat, has put out a statement saying: “There has been an incident involving a vehicle coming into the United States. Federal authorities are currently investigating the situation.” This is according to ABC.

The US TV network has also posted some footage to X/Twitter.

Dramatic images and clips are coming through on the vehicle explosion at the international bridge near the Niagara Falls, but it’s a very fluid situation in terms of official information emerging at this point.

The FBI is investigating and, according to CNN, also the US Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) federal agency.

Reports so far suggest that a car that was entering the US from Canada, where there are toll booths and officials, exploded. There are no reports yet of any victims but this is all unfolding.

Updated

A border crossing between the US and Canada has been closed after a vehicle exploded at a checkpoint on a bridge near Niagara Falls, the Associated Press reports.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s field office in Buffalo, in upstate New York, said in a statement that it was investigating the explosion on the so-called Rainbow Bridge, which connects the two countries across the Niagara River.

Photos and video taken by news organizations and posted on social media showed a security booth that had been singed by flames.

Further information wasn’t immediately available.

New York governor, Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said she had been briefed on the incident and was “closely monitoring the situation”.

Images and clips are emerging on social media.

Explosion at US-Canada border near Niagara Falls

The FBI and other law enforcement are investigating a vehicle explosion at the international bridge that connects the US and Canada at the Niagara Falls.

The cause of the explosion is not yet clear but there are some dramatic images and reports by the Associated Press citing the FBI that the border has been closed.

There is talk of a vehicle bomb or an electric vehicle battery combusting, we will bring you details as they unfold.

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