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The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said on Wednesday it was looking into a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing between the United States and Canada, located near Niagara Falls.
The bridge, which spans the Niagara River, remains closed Wednesday following an explosion near a security booth at its US entrance.
Photos and video posted online by eyewitnesses showed thick smoke and flames near the vehicle as well as a damaged security booth.
One eyewitness told Reuters news agency that he had seen a vehicle speeding toward the bridge entrance before the explosion. He said the vehicle had swerved to avoid colliding with another car then crashed into a nearby fence, “All of the sudden he went up in the air and then it was a ball of fire like 30 or 40 feet high.”
US media outlets have reported that two people in the vehicle were killed in the incident, though this has not been confirmed by authorites.
Agents from the FBI’s Buffalo, New York, field office are conducting an on-site investigation.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that authorities were “closely monitoring” the incident, adding that state agencies were on site to assist federal authorities.
Hochul said that all points of entry between Canada and New York were being monitored by the FBI’s Terrorism Task Force. Vehicles arriving at Buffalo Airport are also being subjected to security checks and people traveling for the Thanksgiving holiday were informed that they will be subject to enhanced airport security checks as well.
Four border crossings in the Buffalo area have all been temporarily closed.
The FBI Buffalo Field Office also released a statement on X, calling the situation, “very fluid.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau excused himself as he cut short his Question Period in the House of Commons Wednesday, saying, “This is obviously a very serious situation in Niagara Falls,” before he left for a security briefing.
Canada’s Public Safety Ministry said it was taking the situation “very seriously,” yet cautioned that it was too soon to say whether the incident was a deliberate act.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said he would speak with US Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas shortly.
This is a developing story and will be updated shortly
js,nm/jcg (Reuters, AP)
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