Current:Home > ContactEthermac Exchange-Border crossings closed after vehicle explosion on bridge connecting New York and Canada -Elevate Capital Network
Ethermac Exchange-Border crossings closed after vehicle explosion on bridge connecting New York and Canada
SignalHub Quantitative Think Tank Center View
Date:2025-04-07 07:24:46
NIAGARA FALLS,Ethermac Exchange N.Y. (AP) — A vehicle exploded at a checkpoint on the American side of a U.S.-Canada bridge in Niagara Falls Wednesday, prompting the closing of four border crossings in the area, authorities said.
The blast happened on the U.S. side of the Rainbow Bridge, which connects the two countries across the Niagara River. Three other bridges between western New York and Ontario were quickly closed as a precaution, and the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport began security checks on all cars and told passengers to expect additional screenings.
The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority posted on X, formerly Twitter, that all cars arriving at the Buffalo Airport would undergo security checks. The authority said travelers should also expect additional screenings.
No further information was immediately available on the cause of the explosion. The FBI’s field office in Buffalo said in a statement that it was investigating the blast, and investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also responding to the scene.
Photos and video taken by bystanders and posted on social media showed thick smoke, flames on the pavement and a security booth that had been singed by flames.
Videos showed that the fire was in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection area just east of the main vehicle checkpoint.
FILE - A vehicle crosses the International Rainbow Bridge from Niagara Falls, Ontario, into Niagara Falls, N.Y. on Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2021. A border crossing between the U.S. and Canada has been closed Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, after a vehicle exploded at a checkpoint on a bridge near Niagara Falls. The FBI’s field office in Buffalo said in a statement that it was investigating the explosion on the Rainbow Bridge, which connects the two countries across the Niagara River. (Aaron Lynett/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
Speaking to WGRZ-TV, Mike Guenther said he saw a vehicle speeding toward the crossing from the U.S. side of the border when it swerved to avoid another car, crashed into a fence and exploded.
“All of a sudden he went up in the air and then it was a ball of fire like 30 or 40 feet high,” Guenther told the station. “I never saw anything like it.”
Ivan Vitalii, a Ukrainian visiting Niagara Falls, told The Niagara Gazette that he and a friend were near the bridge when they “heard something smash.”
“We saw fire and big, black smoke,” he told the newspaper.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul had been briefed on the situation, their offices said.
The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission reported that all four of its crossings — the others are Lewiston, Whirlpool and Peace Bridge — were closed.
veryGood! (9981)
Related
- Immigration issues sorted, Guatemala runner Luis Grijalva can now focus solely on sports
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Trump's 'stop
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Federal Spending Freeze Could Have Widespread Impact on Environment, Emergency Management
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
- Why members of two of EPA's influential science advisory committees were let go
Ranking
- Scoot flight from Singapore to Wuhan turns back after 'technical issue' detected
- Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
- The FBI should have done more to collect intelligence before the Capitol riot, watchdog finds
- A South Texas lawmaker’s 15
- A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
- Moving abroad can be expensive: These 5 countries will 'pay' you to move there
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Hackers hit Rhode Island benefits system in major cyberattack. Personal data could be released soon
Recommendation
Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
2 killed, 3 injured in shooting at makeshift club in Houston
Current, future North Carolina governor’s challenge of power
Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
How effective is the Hyundai, Kia anti-theft software? New study offers insights.
California DMV apologizes for license plate that some say mocks Oct. 7 attack on Israel
Grammy nominee Teddy Swims on love, growth and embracing change
Could your smelly farts help science?