The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the explosion of a vehicle this Wednesday on the bridge that connects the United States and Canada and is located in Niagara Falls, the US part of the pass. The bridge, called the Rainbow Bridge, is one of four road crossings in western New York state that connect the two countries. “The situation is very fluid.”, is all we can say at this time,” the Buffalo field office reported in a statement. The federal agency’s investigation is being coordinated with that of local and state security officials to determine the origin of the detonation, allegedly in a vehicle from the neighboring country, but whose address has not yet been confirmed.
Citing unidentified sources, the Fox News television channel reiterated the existence of two dead people, the suspected occupants of the vehicle, and one injured person, one of the customs officials, which two customs officials later confirmed to CNN. Order with access to research. Other local media report two deaths. CNN also reported that the vehicle exploded in the secondary screening area after passing through customs at high speed. It is unclear, this chain emphasizes, whether the car was diverted for inspection. According to the New York Times, which also cited two police officials, a preliminary inspection of the damaged vehicle revealed that there were no explosives among the remains.
Investigators have ruled out the possibility that it was a bomb, but all hypotheses remain open. New York State Governor Kathy Hochul said there were “no indications that this was a terrorist attack.” U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, a veteran, relied on an FBI report he received to confirm the two deaths, “but without determining anything about their identity or motive.” was an intentional act. The first clues processed by the customs authority point to a reckless driver who caused an accident and a subsequent fire through his driving style.
Images shared by individuals on social media show a control booth at the intersection engulfed in flames and vehicles being evacuated from the area. Video from another witness reflects a thick cloud of smoke over the bridge, which is just a kilometer and a half from the famous falls and is connected to the Canadian city of the same name. A witness said the driver lost control after swerving to avoid a car in front of him and apparently crashed into a fence, causing a loud bang and a fireball.
Hochul posted on X (formerly Twitter) that she had been informed of the incident and was “monitoring the situation closely.” The Democrat immediately headed to the scene while members of the FBI’s counterterrorism unit and the New York State Police increased surveillance at all entry points into New York, the governor said. The incident came just a week after FBI Director Christopher Wray warned a congressional committee about an increased risk of extremism as a result of the war between Israel and Hamas. President Joe Biden was immediately informed of the explosion and he and his team are closely monitoring developments in the investigation.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed the incident in the House of Commons, assuring that Canada was working closely with the United States and taking the matter “extremely seriously.” Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc called it a “violent circumstance” and cause for concern for both countries, but cautioned against speculation in the absence of concrete details.
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WIVB, a Buffalo television station, reported that all four international border crossings in western New York state were closed in both directions Wednesday due to the incident. U.S. border agency officials declined to comment on the incident, while their Canadian counterparts also did not immediately respond to requests for comment from news outlets. The Foreign Ministry has not yet commented either.
Road traffic around the four border crossings in northwestern New York state was suspended on the very day when most car travel takes place in the country: the eve of Thanksgiving. Adding to the poor weather conditions expected in the state this Wednesday is the additional deployment of agents at the Buffalo Niagara Airport, closest to the scene of the event, where all vehicles will undergo a comprehensive inspection. known since the incident arrived. The airfield was later closed to international flights.
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