A New York couple, fiery car crash and Thanksgiving travel chaos: What we know about Rainbow Bridge explosion

Two people died after a vehicle exploded at a US-Canada border crossing at Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, on Wednesday 22 November.

The car was attempting to enter Canada from the United States when it sped toward a checkpoint, crashed into a fence and erupted “into a fireball” just before midday, according to witnesses.

Video footage and photos showed flames and thick black smoke billowing from the checkpoint, and a security booth that had been charred by flames.

The blast killed two, reportedly injured one Border Patrol officer and led to the closure of four border crossings between the US and Canada in New York state.

Within hours, investigators had ruled out that the car had been carrying explosives or was connected to terroism

Smoke billows from Niagara Falls border crossing at Rainbow Bridge (Reuters)

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said during a press conference just after 5pm that “there is no indication of a terrorist attack”.

The Buffalo FBI conducted an investigation before handing it over to the Niagara Falls Police Department.

President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said they were closely monitoring the incident, amid heightened warnings of terror attacks due to the Israel-Hamas war.

The fatal explosion threw Thanksgiving travel plans into chaos, as borders were closed and travel routes suspended.

What happened?

At 11.50am ET, the Rainbow Bridge was closed due to a “traffic event”, according to an incident alert from the Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition.

Witness Mike Guenther told NBC affiliate WGRZ-TV that he had been walking on the bridge when he saw a speeding car approach the border checkpoint, hit a fence and go airborne before exploding.

Debris is scattered about inside the customs plaza at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing (AP)

Another witness told reporters that he had seen the vehicle catch fire, before seeing black smoke and flames.

Ambulances arrived soon afterward to find the vehicle completely burned out. Two individuals travelling in the car died, officials said.

Law enforcement sources told CNN they had identified the registered owner of the car but identification of the individuals was pending.

Thanksgiving travel impacted

Officials closed four US-Canada border crossings in New York: the Rainbow Bridge, Peace Bridge, Whirlpool Bridge and Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.

Amtrak also temporarily suspended cross-border services between New York and Canada.

The Jewish Community Center of Greater Buffalo said it would close until after Thanksgiving “out of an abundance of caution”.

Just after 3pm, international departures and arrivals were paused at Buffalo Niagara International Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. It was reopened several hours later.

Travellers arriving at the airport were warned to expect additional screenings, while vehicles would undergo extra security checks.

“The Buffalo and Niagara Falls Airports are fully operational. We advise travelers to give themselves time for these extra precautions in addition to holiday travel,” the agency said on X.

All bridges between New York state and Canada were closed after the explosion. Three were reopened hours later (Getty Images)

Three of the four bridge crossings were reopened on Wednesday afternoon, with only the Rainbow Bridge still closed. It remained closed on Thursday morning.

The Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority said security would be stepped up across the area.

Who were the two people killed in the blast?

Law enforcement sources told CNN on Wednesday night that the Rainbow Bridge crash is believed to have involved a local New York individual and a passenger who had planned to attend a KISS concert in Toronto, Canada.

The concert was cancelled earlier in the day due to frontman, Paul Stanley, falling ill with the flu.

The pair instead headed to a casino not far from the border, CNN reported.

Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino, owned and operated by The Seneca Nation, did not confirm if the car that crashed was present at their location but said they were cooperating with law enforcement, in a statement provided to The Independent.

“We have reviewed and provided information related to a vehicle that stopped at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino only for a matter of minutes shortly before the crash occurred,” the Seneca Nation said.

The two, who have not been identified, are said to live in western New York. Reportedly, they were speeding in a Bentley when the car rammed into the crossing.

The Niagara Falls Police Department said their identities were pending positive results and next of kin notifications.

It remains unclear whether the crash was intentional or accidental, with investigators probing the possibility that the driver may have suffered a medical emergency.

What are officials saying?

Speaking to reporters around five hours after the explosion, Ms Hochul said there was no indication it was a terror attack and that one of the suspected occupants of the car was a “local individual”.

She called on news outlets to “dial down the temperature”.

The car had been completely destroyed, complicating investigation efforts, she said.

“This vehicle basically incinerated, there is nothing left but the engine. It is going to take a long time for our federal law enforcement partners to piece together the real story.

“Based on what we know at this moment there is no sign of terrorist activity. This is a local individual, a Western New Yorker,” the governor told reporters.

“We are still investigating but based on the preliminary investigation there is no sign of terrorism in this horrific explosion.”

The White House said in a statement that President Biden was “closely following developments.” US Attorney General Merrick Garland was briefed on the unfolding situation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms also responded to the scene.

Mr Trudeau said officials in Canada were “taking this extraordinary seriously”.

Incident at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls (via REUTERS)

“This is obviously a very serious situation in Niagara Falls,” Mr Trudeau told the Canadian Parliament on Wednesday afternoon.

The FBI’s Buffalo field office said in a statement it was leading the local, state and federal response until it determined there were no threats of terrorism. It then handed the investigation to the Niagara Falls Police Department.

Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati told CBC on Wednesday afternoon that the explosion appeared to be an isolated incident.

Increased terror alert

The incident came at a time of heightened fears of a possible terror attack.

Ms Hochul issued a warning days earlier that officials had detected increased chatter of a possible terror attack in the state due to unrest in the Middle East.

The governor announced she was expanding staff on the state’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Ariana Baio contributed to this report.