No terror links in explosion at U.S-Canada border crossing, officials say
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A sign indicates that all bridges between the U.S. and Canada are closed after a car crashed and exploded at The Rainbow Bridge Niagara Falls, New York, on Wednesday. Photo: John Normile/Getty Images
Investigators of Wednesday's deadly car explosion at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing between the U.S. and Canada have not uncovered links to terrorism, the FBI and New York's governor say.
The big picture: The incident on the U.S. side of the bridge killed two people and injured a booth agent, and prompted the closure of multiple border crossings, the suspension of border train services and heightened security at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport on the eve of Thanksgiving — one of the busiest travel days of the year.
The latest: The FBI said late Wednesday that it had completed its investigation after no explosive materials were found at the scene.
- Police in Niagara Falls, N.Y., are now handling the incident "as a traffic investigation," the FBI said.
Driving the news: New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D) confirmed at a Wednesday evening briefing that two people died in the "horrific incident" and emphasized there was "no known terrorist connection" at this time.
- A booth agent was treated for injuries related to the explosion, but had since been released from the hospital. "It was a very congested area," Hochul said. "It could have been very cataclysmic."
- The vehicle was going at an "extraordinarily high rate of speed" which Hochul said "led to the crash into the median that sent the vehicle airborne" over an eight-foot high fence.
- Hochul said the vehicle was "basically incinerated" and that nothing was left besides the engine. The driver and passenger, reportedly a married couple, were killed.
- Hochul said earlier on Wednesday that she directed New York State Police to work with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Forces to monitor all points of entry into the state.
Meanwhile, the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, which operates most public transportation services in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area, said it increased security "system-wide" in response to the explosion.
What they're saying: A witness told WGRZ-TV, an NBC-affiliate in Buffalo, that a driver was speeding toward the border checkpoint and swerved around another vehicle before crashing, "flying up in the air" and erupting into "a fireball."
- Another witness speaking to reporters said he also saw a vehicle go airborne before colliding with other objects and catching fire. He said he did not see or hear an explosion but saw black smoke and fire coming from the wreck.
State of play: The Rainbow Bridge closed around 11:50am ET because of a "traffic event," according to the Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition's alert system.
- ATF officials joined the FBI in responding to the blast, a situation the Bureau described as "very fluid" in a statement that did not offer any other details on the incident.
- Several other U.S.-Canada crossings were temporarily closed following the explosion, including the Peace Bridge connecting Buffalo, New York, to Fort Erie, Canada.
- International departures and arrivals were paused at Buffalo Niagara International Airport at 3:07 pm, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
- A spokesperson for Amtrak confirmed to Axios on Wednesday evening that it had "temporarily suspended" cross-border service between New York State and Toronto.
Of note: The increased security included additional checks for vehicles entering airports in the area.
- The White House was closely monitoring the situation at the U.S.-Canada border crossing and "law enforcement is on scene and investigating," a National Security Council spokesperson told Axios.
Editor's note: This story was updated with new developments.
