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Post by Newsman on Nov 22, 2023 17:58:13 GMT -5
 ...earlier today there was an incident at the Rainbow U.S.-Canada Bridge border crossing in Buffalo...(The Guardian) Explosion at US-Canada border near Niagara FallsThe FBI and other law enforcement are investigating a vehicle explosion at the international bridge that connects the US and Canada at the Niagara Falls. The cause of the explosion is not yet clear but there are some dramatic images and reports by the Associated Press citing the FBI that the border has been closed. There is talk of a vehicle bomb or an electric vehicle battery combusting, we will bring you details as they unfold.
A border crossing between the US and Canada has been closed after a vehicle exploded at a checkpoint on a bridge near Niagara Falls, the Associated Press reports. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s field office in Buffalo, in upstate New York, said in a statement that it was investigating the explosion on the so-called Rainbow Bridge, which connects the two countries across the Niagara River. Photos and video taken by news organizations and posted on social media showed a security booth that had been singed by flames. Further information wasn’t immediately available. New York governor, Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said she had been briefed on the incident and was “closely monitoring the situation”. |
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Post by Newsman on Nov 22, 2023 18:08:08 GMT -5
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Post by Newsman on Nov 22, 2023 18:09:01 GMT -5
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Post by Webster on Nov 22, 2023 18:11:06 GMT -5
(The Guardian) White House monitoring situationThe White House has been briefed on the situation at the Rainbow Bridge checkpoint and is closely monitoring the situation, CNN reports. The Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, has also been briefed and is aware of the developing situation, CNN adds.
Four border crossings closed, Justin Trudeau saysFour border crossings are closed, the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, said. The closed border crossings are Rainbow Bridge, Whirlpool Bridge, Queenston Bridge and Peace Bridge, said Trudeau. -- “Additional measures are being contemplated and activated at all border crossings across the country. We are taking this extraordinarily seriously,” he added.
Two occupants of vehicle have died, CNN reportsThere were two occupants in the vehicle involved in the explosion at Rainbow Bridge who have died, CNN reports. Canadian and US officials are still investigating the cause of the explosion.
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Post by Webster on Nov 22, 2023 18:12:16 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Here is testimony from a witness on the Rainbow Bridge explosion. Describing the movement of the vehicle involved in the explosion, the witness said: “My wife and I were walking down Main Street here and the car was coming … over 100 miles an hour. We could hardly see him, he was going that quick. There was a car in front of him, he swerved around it and then it looked like he hit the fence and this fire started. And then all of a sudden, he went up in the air and then it was a ball of fire like 30, 40 ft high… [The car] was going towards Canada.”
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Post by Webster on Nov 22, 2023 18:20:50 GMT -5
(The Guardian) The US Transportation Security Administration has released the following statement on the developments at Rainbow Bridge, CNN reports: “TSA and the department of homeland security are in close and ongoing touch with all partners and continue to monitor the situation and may adjust security postures as or when necessary.”
There appear to be conflicting reports on whether the explosion was terrorism-related. According to four law enforcement officials speaking to NBC, no explosives were found in the vehicle that crashed into the checkpoint. Law enforcement officials are not calling this incident terrorism, NBC reports.
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Post by Webster on Nov 22, 2023 18:21:22 GMT -5
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Post by Webster on Nov 22, 2023 18:22:42 GMT -5
(The Guardian) 3:09pm Summary--The FBI and law enforcement agencies are investigating a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge, an international bridge connecting the US and Canada. --The cause of the explosion is not clear yet but images have come out of the explosion showing debris and fire near the international bridge. --The White House has been briefed on the explosion and is monitoring the situation. Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau has also been briefed and is monitoring it. --Canadian officials held a briefing on the explosion. Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s public safety minister, declined to comment on the cause of the crash as they did not have “reliable verified information.” --Four border crossings, including the Rainbow Bridge, have now been closed, Trudeau said. Trudeau added that additional security is being contemplated at other border crossing sites. --Two male occupants in the vehicle involved in the explosion are deceased, CNN reported. --A witness that saw the crash said the vehicle involved looked like it was traveling “over 100 miles an hour.”
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Post by Webster on Nov 22, 2023 18:23:42 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Two dead in vehicle that exploded at Rainbow Bridge, official tells APTwo people in the vehicle that exploded at the Rainbow Bridge crossing between the US and Canada have been declared dead, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press. The Associated Press reports: Two people were found dead in a vehicle that exploded at a checkpoint on the American side of a US-Canada bridge in Niagara Falls Wednesday, a law enforcement official told the Associated Press.
The official was not authorized to discuss details of the investigation publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
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Post by Webster on Nov 22, 2023 18:26:44 GMT -5
 Police block off the entrance to the Rainbow Bridge crossing. Photograph: Derek Gee/AP  Emergency vehicles at the scene. Photograph: Reuters |
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Post by Webster on Nov 22, 2023 18:27:24 GMT -5
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Post by Webster on Nov 22, 2023 18:28:05 GMT -5
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Post by Webster on Nov 22, 2023 18:29:24 GMT -5
(The Guardian) NYPD sends support to Buffalo following Rainbow Bridge explosionThe New York City police department has sent NYPD officers upstate to “support efforts on the ground” following the Rainbow Bridge explosion. The NYPD said: “The NYPD has been closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Buffalo after an explosion at the Rainbow Bridge, and we’ve already sent NYPD officers upstate to support efforts on the ground. The NYPD and our partners have already enhanced security and the city is on heightened alert due to the upcoming holiday so the public will see increased security at locations across New York City, including entry and egress points into and out of the city.”
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Post by Webster on Nov 22, 2023 18:30:03 GMT -5
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Post by Webster on Nov 22, 2023 18:31:05 GMT -5
(The Guardian) Law enforcement officials have identified the registered owner of the vehicle involved in the explosion at Rainbow Bridge, according to authorities who spoke to CNN. The car came from the US and was traveling towards Canada, a law enforcement source and another source briefed on the investigation told the outlet. CNN reports: Law enforcement officials have conducted a video canvass of the surrounding area in the hours since the incident occurred and found the car appears to have been at a nearby New York casino before the incident. This is one reason officials are urging caution in labeling the explosion as an attempted terrorist attack, the law enforcement source said.
Hochul, who has been briefed by various law enforcement officials, said “there is no sign of terrorist activity with respect to this crash” at a press conference on Wednesday. She said they had “identified that this is a local individual, a western New Yorker”. The investigation is still developing. “The world is watching to find out what’s happening here,” she said, citing “high stress” around the Israel-Hamas war. “All is well, we’re investigating, but based on the preliminary investigation there’s no sign of terrorist” activity in the crash, Hochul said.
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