- “The White House is closely monitoring the situation and law enforcement is on scene and investigating,” an official told
- Biden on Thanksgiving vacation on Nantucket Island with his family
- Four bridges between the US-Canada border have been closed
- READ MORE: Get the latest updates with ‘s live blog on the Rainbow Bridge explosion
President Joe Biden has been briefed and is closely monitoring the suspected terrorist attack on the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls on Wednesday.
“The White House is closely monitoring the situation and law enforcement is on scene and investigating,” a White House National Security Council spokesperson told .
And White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre wrote on social media: “The President has been informed of the vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge port of entry.” “He and his team are closely monitoring developments.”
Biden is with his family on Nantucket Island off the coast of Massachusetts for the Thanksgiving holiday.
A vehicle exploded at a checkpoint on the American side of a bridge between the United States and Canada, leading to the closure of four border crossings in the region. Two passengers in the vehicle were killed.
President Joe Biden arrived in Nantucket on Tuesday evening
The explosion destroyed the vehicle in pieces next to the toll booth
The FBI’s Terrorism Task Force is investigating, but officials have yet to confirm the motive.
“This is obviously a very serious situation in Niagara Falls,” Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in Parliament as he excused himself from question period in the House of Commons to seek further information.
“We take this extraordinary situation seriously,” he added.
The bridge connects the USA and Canada.
Three other bridges between Western New York and Ontario – the Peace Bridge, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge and the Whirlpool Bridge – were quickly closed as a precaution.
Buffalo-Niagara International Airport began security checks on all vehicles and told passengers to expect additional screening. The FAA later closed the airport.
After the explosion, motorists who had traveled to America were asked to abandon their vehicles and return to Canada on foot while the cars were checked for bombs.
Speaking to WGRZ-TV, Mike Guenther said he saw a vehicle speeding toward the border crossing from the U.S. side of the border when it tried to avoid another car, hit a fence and exploded.
“Suddenly it flew into the air and then it was a fireball, about 30 or 40 feet high,” Günther told the station.
“I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Wednesday’s explosion was reported shortly after 11:22 a.m. It is one of, if not the busiest, crossings between Canada and the United States
A video from a building next to the checkpoint shows the enormous explosion
The aftermath of the explosion at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls on Wednesday following a suspected terrorist attack
A tourist visiting Canada who told while there that she saw clouds of smoke rising in the air was told she could not cross the border.
Photos she took shortly after the incident showed white smoke rising from the scene.
She was attempting to walk to the United States from Canada when they were turned around.
She said: “It must have just happened when we thought of it.” Shortly before, the security guard had said that as long as we had passports, everything would be fine.
“Then we were told not to go over and to try again in a few hours.”