Two dead in vehicle that exploded at Rainbow Bridge, official tells AP
Two people in the vehicle that exploded at the Rainbow Bridge crossing 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.
Key events
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.”
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
— Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) November 22, 2023
International arrivals and departures have been halted at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, CNN reports the Federal Aviation Authority saying.
BREAKING: Buffalo Niagara International is CLOSED to ALL departing and arriving international flights, per FAA.
— Pete Muntean (@petemuntean) November 22, 2023
The airport also announced earlier that cars coming into the airport “will undergo security checks and travelers can expect additional screenings.”
Here are some images coming through the newswires of the explosion at Rainbow Bridge checkpoint:
Two dead in vehicle that exploded at Rainbow Bridge, official tells AP
Two people in the vehicle that exploded at the Rainbow Bridge crossing 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.
What we know so far
Gloria Oladipo
Here’s a look at what we know so far about the explosion at Rainbow Bridge:
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The FBI and law enforcement agencies are investigating a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge, an international bridge connecting the US and Canada.
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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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.
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Two male occupants in the vehicle involved in the explosion are deceased, CNN reported.
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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.
Four law enforcement officials told @Tom_Winter and @jonathan4ny that no explosives were found in the vehicle that crashed into the Buffalo-area border checkpoint. Cause still TBD, but law enforcement officials NOT calling this terrorism.
— Ken Dilanian (@KenDilanianNBC) November 22, 2023
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”.
BREAKING: The “vehicle explosion” at Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls between U.S. and Canada border was an “attempted terrorist attack” with “a lot of explosives in the vehicle at the time.” – Fox News pic.twitter.com/xtiiuRhQK5
— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) November 22, 2023
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.
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.”
The Rainbow Bridge Incident Update
📍Niagara Falls📍Car was seen travelling 100mph down Main St” picture attached, swerved around a car and lost control into the USA side. (Picture attached) with by-standard account of the incident. pic.twitter.com/8rokSQGsYX
— Kyle.Taylor (@livingbyyyz) November 22, 2023
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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
LATEST: The Rainbow Bridge connecting the U.S. and Canada at Niagara Falls, New York, has been closed after a vehicle explosion, according to the FBI.
The Niagara Falls NY Mayor’s Office has released a statement: “There has been an incident involving a vehicle coming into the… pic.twitter.com/R4AAx0sm6J
— ABC News (@ABC) November 22, 2023
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.
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.
🚨#BREAKING: A vehicle entering a toll booth at Rainbow Bridge has caused a large explosion to go off, prompting evacuations.⁰⁰📌#NiagaraFalls | #Canada
Currently, multiple authorities and emergency personnel are on the scene, with evacuations underway after a vehicle… pic.twitter.com/CGJnKIm6u5
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) November 22, 2023
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.
