Two people died on Wednesday in an apparently accidental car explosion on a border bridge between the USA and Canada, near Niagara Falls.
The Governor of New York State, Kathy Hochul, said in a press briefing in Niagara Falls that there was “no evidence at this stage to suggest it’s a terrorist act.” She spoke from the scene, hundreds of kilometres north of New York City, referring to the incident as a “horrible, car accident, an explosion but no confirmed links to terrorism.”
The explosion happened on the Rainbow Bridge between the USA and Canada. Both occupants of the car were confirmed dead by the governor.
According to security sources, the car was travelling at a very high speed towards the border when it hit a railing and exploded.
An American law enforcement officer quoted by the New York Times hinted that the blast may have resulted from the impact. A suitcase was found near the car, but it contained no explosives, according to the same source.
A Canadian visitor to the USA, Mark Guenter, told the CBS TV network that he saw a car “speeding at more than 100 miles an hour (160 km/h),” then “hit the railing and fly into the air.” He also reported seeing a “fireball” and smoke on the bridge.
Before Governor Hochul’s statement, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau spoke of a “clearly very serious situation in Niagara Falls” following “an explosion on the Rainbow Bridge.” He added: “There are still many questions, and we’re trying to get answers as fast as we can.”
The border towns of Niagara Falls, Canada, and Niagara Falls, USA, announced on their Facebook pages that the Rainbow Bridge was closed “until further notice.”
The same restrictions apply in the US to the Niagara Falls National Park and international flights to and from nearby Buffalo Airport.
