Rainbow Bridge explosion: 2 killed in vehicle explosion at the US-Canada bridge in Niagara Falls
Two people were killed and a Border Patrol agent was injured when a vehicle exploded Wednesday at the Niagara Falls International Rainbow Bridge border crossing between the United States and Canada, according to two U.S. law enforcement officials with knowledge of the matter.
The cause of the explosion, the precise location and the direction in which the vehicle was traveling were not immediately clear. Video from the scene showed what appeared to be an inspection booth near the bridge, with smoke coming from the top and debris surrounding it.
At the request of U.S. officials, all four bridges between Canada and the United States in the Niagara region were closed, including the Rainbow Bridge, Peace Bridge, Lewiston-Queenston Bridge and Whirlpool Bridge, said Dominic LeBlanc, Canada’s public safety minister.
“This is a rapidly changing situation,” he told reporters. “All measures are being taken to ensure people are safe.”
The vehicle at the Rainbow Bridge was traveling at a high rate of speed and flew about 10 feet into the air, one of the U.S. law enforcement officials said. No explosives were immediately found in the wreckage, the official said.
Streets in the tourist area of downtown Niagara Falls were virtually empty for about a quarter-mile as city police, state police and National Guard troops blocked access to the Rainbow Bridge. Tourists took photos and listened to radio coverage of the event.
PJ Ward-Brown of Asheboro, N.C., said he and his family were on a trolley through Niagara Falls State Park at the time of the explosion. Fog from the falls and an overcast sky obscured his view of the bridge. His car was in a gated lot and a state trooper took his keys and drove the vehicle to a place where he could leave.
“This is all pretty scary,” said Mr. Ward-Brown, who was taking his family to western New York for Thanksgiving. “You don’t want to think about 9/11 at a time like that, but it’s hard.”
The White House said it was closely monitoring the situation and that President Biden and Attorney General Merrick Garland had been briefed.
The FBI field office in Buffalo said in a social media post that the agency coordinated with local, state and federal law enforcement. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the New York State Police were working with the FBI to monitor all points of entry into the state.
Mr. LeBlanc declined to say whether the vehicle that exploded came from Canada, saying law enforcement authorities had received conflicting information.
In Canada, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the House of Commons in brief comments: “We are taking this very seriously,” before leaving for an update on the situation.
The remaining international border crossings are open and on a heightened alert status, a spokesperson for Ms Hochul’s office said, while airports and rail facilities in the area have increased security. There are also additional explosive detection dogs and police patrols, and additional screenings are being conducted at Buffalo Niagara International Airport.
Paul Lane contributed reporting from Niagara Falls, Glenn Thrush from Washington and Ian Austen from Ottawa.