2 dead in vehicle explosion attack at US-Canada Rainbow Bridge near Niagara Falls
2 dead in vehicle explosion attack at US-Canada Rainbow Bridge near Niagara Falls
The FBI was investigating a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing between the United States and Canada near Niagara Falls as an attempted ‘terrorist attack’, Fox News said on Wednesday, citing unnamed sources.
Two people in the vehicle are dead and one border patrol official has been injured, the report said.
A vehicle explosion at the bridge was being investigated, the Buffalo Field Office of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation said in a statement on X.
All four international border crossings in Western New York were closed on Wednesday due to an incident involving a vehicle at the bridge, according to local media. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.
The cause of the incident was not immediately clear but New York Governor Kathy Hochul said state police and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force were monitoring all points of entry into the state.
US media cited law enforcement sources as saying there were two people in the car, which had passed through one border checkpoint where it was selected for a secondary check.
The car then sped up, crashed into a barrier and exploded, the sources said, stressing it was unclear if the blast was the result of a device.
“I am travelling to Buffalo to meet with law enforcement and emergency responders and will update New Yorkers when more information becomes available,” Hochul posted on social media.
Canadian parliamentary delegation visits US Congress to discuss China policies
Canadian parliamentary delegation visits US Congress to discuss China policies
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s office said he had been briefed and was in contact with US law enforcement. Multiple Canadian agencies were supporting the investigation, it added.
Witnesses reported hearing a deafening explosion and seeing a large cloud of smoke near the inspections station.
Ivan Vitalii, a visitor from Ukraine, told the Niagara Gazette he and a friend were at a nearby convenience store on the US side when they saw a car exit a car park and travel toward the bridge.
“We heard something smash,” he said. “We saw fire and big, black smoke.”
