Two individuals lost their lives in a car explosion near the US-Canada border close to Niagara Falls, in what American authorities described as a “horrific incident” with no indications of terrorist involvement.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressed Parliament, describing the situation as “extremely serious” without specifying whether initial clues pointed to a “terrorist” act or merely an accident.
Trudeau stated before the House of Commons that it is clear that there is an extremely serious situation near Niagara Falls. adding that a car exploded at the Rainbow Bridge crossing.
However, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York state stated at a press conference held at the explosion site that there is currently no indication that this was a terrorist act.
She added that it was a horrifying incident, but at present, there is no known terrorist connection.”
The White House informed President Joe Biden of the explosion. The city of Niagara Falls, announced through its Facebook page that the Rainbow Bridge, connecting the United States and Canada, is closed “until further notice.”
An eyewitness told CBS that they saw a car “traveling at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) before it went airborne” and collided with a barrier before exploding. The witness later saw a “fireball” on the bridge.
Canadian Minister of Public Safety Dominique Leblanc expressed concern over such violent incidents involving vital infrastructure shared by Canada and the United States, such as a border crossing.
However, he refrained from “speculating on the source” of the explosion, which claimed the lives of two individuals, as confirmed by Governor Hochul.
The federal police office in Buffalo, New York, close to Niagara Falls, sent specialized “counter-terrorism” investigators to the scene.
Hochul also stated via the platform that the state police were working with the counter-terrorism unit of the FBI to monitor all points of entry” into New York state.
