Authorities say two folks contained in the car have died, explosion passed off on US facet of bridge connecting international locations.
4 border crossings have been closed between the USA and Canada after a car exploded at a checkpoint on the US facet of a bridge connecting the 2 international locations at Niagara Falls, in New York state, authorities stated.
Two folks contained in the car had been killed within the explosion that passed off on the US facet of the Rainbow Bridge that goes throughout the Niagara River, a legislation enforcement official instructed The Related Press information company.
Three different bridges between western New York and Ontario had been shortly closed as a precaution, and the Buffalo-Niagara Worldwide Airport started safety checks on all automobiles and instructed passengers to count on further screenings, in keeping with AP.
The Buffalo, New York, discipline workplace of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation stated it was coordinating with all legislation enforcement businesses and described the state of affairs as “fluid”, in a submit on X.
#FBI Buffalo assertion on investigation on the Rainbow Bridge: pic.twitter.com/jRaGLL8sU8
— FBI Buffalo (@FBIBuffalo) November 22, 2023
No additional info was instantly out there on the reason for the explosion.
Photographs and video taken by bystanders and posted on social media confirmed thick smoke and a safety sales space that had been singed by flames. Movies confirmed the hearth was in a US Customs and Border Safety space simply east of the primary car checkpoint.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was briefed and the White Home stated that it was carefully monitoring the state of affairs.
“This is obviously a very serious situation in Niagara Falls,” Trudeau stated in Parliament. “We are taking this extraordinary seriously.”
Ivan Vitalii, a Ukrainian visiting Niagara Falls, instructed The Niagara Gazette newspaper that he and a buddy had been close to the bridge once they “heard something smash”.
“We saw fire and big, black smoke,” he was quoted as saying.