NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — Four of the busiest border crossing points between Canada and the United States were abruptly closed Wednesday after a vehicle exploded at a U.S. checkpoint in Niagara Falls. The FBI is investigating the blast, which took place on the U.S. side of the Rainbow Bridge crossing in Upstate New York.
Here are the latest developments (all times are ET):
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5:45 p.m.
There is almost nothing left of the vehicle that exploded today at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says all but the engine of the vehicle incinerated.
She says the pieces are scattered over a large scene.
Hochul says it will take some time for investigators to put together the entire story of what happened.
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5:30 p.m.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says there is no evidence at this time that terrorist activity was behind the deadly explosion at the border crossing at Niagara.
The governor says it's not clear whether the driver was intentionally heading for the Rainbow Bridge across the Niagara River when the vehicle hit a median and flew into the air.
United States Customs and Border Protection says three border crossings in the Niagara region have reopened to traffic.
The border crossing at the Rainbow Bridge, which spans the Niagara River, remains closed.
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5:30 p.m.
A Toronto woman says she was in a building at the border crossing to deal with some customs paperwork when she heard the explosion.
Paola Tamang says it felt like an earthquake and she ran to the window to see what happened.
She was told her car was parked about 10 metres away from the explosion.
Tamang was among a group of Canadians who were stuck waiting for the border to reopen so they could retrieve their vehicles, which were stranded on the U.S. side of the bridge.
She says it doesn't feel like a terrorist attack.
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4:30 p.m.
A spokeswoman for the RCMP says officers are working with domestic and international partners on the deadly explosion at the U.S. border crossing in Niagara Falls.
She provided no further details.
The Niagara Regional Police Service says border bridges in Niagara remain closed due to the blast.
It says it's monitoring developments, and there is no known threat on the Canadian side of the border.
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3:50 p.m.
Authorities say two people are dead after a vehicle exploded at a checkpoint on the American side of a bridge in Niagara Falls.
The blast has prompted the closure of four border crossings in the area.
There was no immediate information on the cause of the explosion, but it has raised concerns on both sides of the border.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says officials are “taking this extraordinarily seriously,” and the White House said U.S. President Joe Biden is “closely following developments.”
A law enforcement official has told The Associated Press that the two people who died were in the vehicle.
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3 p.m.
Toronto police say on social media that they will be increasing patrols of uniformed officers throughout the city.
They say it's out of an abundance of caution and there are no known threats in the city.
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This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2023.
The Canadian Press
