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The explosive explosion of a car on a bridge to Canada on the eve of a major US holiday has put the two neighboring countries on high alert and shut down bridges and rail services between them.
Two persons were killed in the crash before noon Wednesday on the US side of the Rainbow Bridge, which connects to the world-famous tourist attraction Niagara Falls.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated that there was “no known terrorist connection at this time.”
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament shortly after the disaster that the situation was “very serious.”
“We’re taking this extraordinarily seriously,” he said before rushing out of the chamber.
The explosion took place on the eve of Thanksgiving Day amid heightened tensions over the Israel-Hamas war that has spawned high emotions and protests across the two neighbours.
The annual Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City attracts a crowd of about 3 million along its route and the city’s Mayor Eric Adams said that “the NYPD (police department) and our team have been closely monitoring the situation”.
There will be “increased security at locations across New York City, including entry and egress points into and out of the city”, he said.
All four bridges in the Niagra area were shut down and other crossings were put on “heightened alert status”, the New York State Transportation Department said.
Amtrak, the railway system, announced the suspension of service from the United States to Toronto.
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority stated that it was “increasing system-wide security.” Cars and people arriving at Buffalo and Niagara Falls International Airports.”
According to Hochul, the explosion entirely destroyed the car, leaving only the engine.
The passengers in the automobile were a guy and a woman, according to Hochul, and one of them was from the neighborhood.
A video taken at the border checks shows the truck flying several feet above the ground.
Hochul compared the crash video to something manufactured by artificial intelligence.
n eyewitness told NBC News: “The car was coming, flying back here, like over 100 miles an hour.”
The car went up “like 30-40 feet high” after hitting a barrier and then caught fire, the man said.
According to ABC News’ sources, the high-speed vehicle collided with a concrete barrier, careened into an area where cars waited for secondary inspection, burst into flames, and exploded.
Because of the dramatic nature of the disaster, the strategic location where it occurred, and the time of day, the bridge explosion sparked initial worries of a terrorist incident.
Local Sheriff John Garcia told CNN, “we didn’t know if it was a terrorist attack or not at the beginning”, but every precaution was taken to ensure the community’s safety. Fox News had reported earlier that according to its sources, the FBI was looking into it as “an attempted terrorist attack”.
According to ABC News, a suitcase or briefcase was discovered nearby, and authorities treated it as a potential explosive device.
However, Hochul stated that no explosives were found.
Source:IANS
