A vehicle exploded at a checkpoint on the American side of a U.S.-Canada bridge in Niagara Falls Wednesday. The incident prompted the closing of four border crossings in the area.
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According to a law enforcement official, two people were found dead in a vehicle that exploded at a checkpoint on the American side of the bridge. The FBI is investigating the incident, and there is no indication of terrorism at this time.
The Rainbow Bridge is an arch bridge across the Niagara River gorge that connects the cities of Niagara Falls, New York, United States (to the east), and Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada (west). It was built near the site of the earlier Honeymoon Bridge, which collapsed on January 27, 1938, due to an ice jam in the river.
The Rainbow Bridge was officially opened on November 1, 1941, and is 1,450 feet long, 202 feet high, and has a longest span of 960 feet. The blast happened on the U.S. side of the Rainbow Bridge, which connects the two countries across the Niagara River.
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New York Governor Kathy Hochul said there was “no indication of a terrorist attack.” He explained that it wasn’t 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.
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. Hochul disclosed in a press briefing that it was an individual local to western New York.
President Joe Biden is reportedly monitoring the situation closely, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has stated that officials are taking the incident very seriously. In a statement to Parliament, Trudeau described the situation as “obviously a very serious situation in Niagara Falls” before excusing himself from Question Period in the House of Commons to be briefed further.
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