Rainbow Bridge vehicle explosion leaves 2 dead and shuts US-Canada border crossing – live updates

Two people are dead following a vehicle explosion at the US-Canada border crossing at Niagara Falls, law enforcement sources have said.

The explosion on Wednesday took place on the famed Rainbow Bridge temporarily shuttered border crossings between the US and Canada in the area.

The incident involved a vehicle on the US side of the border. The vehicle reportedly hit a curb and became airborne before combusting in an explosion, according to the FBI field office in Buffalo, New York.

The blast temporarily closed the Peace Bridge, Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, Whirlpool Bridge and Rainbow Bridge crossings between the US and Canada. Buffalo Airport also closed to international flights in response to the incident.

But New York Governor Kathy Hochul later told a press conference that there was “no sign of terrorist activity” following the incident. Three of the four cross-border bridges were later reopened.

Key Points

Multiple US-Canada border crossings closed after car explodes on Rainbow Bridge near Niagara Falls

Two occupants of vehicle dead, law enforcement sources say

Buffalo airport closes to international flights after Niagara Falls explosion

Location of Rainbow Bridge explosion

New York Governor says incident shows ‘no sign of terrorist activity’

Buffalo airport reopens to international flights

23:00 , Mike Bedigan

Buffalo airport has reopened to international flights, as the majority of cross-border traffic between the US and Canada resumed.

The airport had been closed for all arriving and departing international flights for around two and a half hours, following the explosion at the border crossing at Rainbow Bridge, near to Niagara Falls.

NY Gov. Kathy Hochul says ‘no sign’ of terror activity after car crash at Niagara Falls border

22:53 , Mike Bedigan

Traffic resumes on three cross-border bridges

22:45 , Mike Bedigan

Three of the four cross-border bridges between the US and Canada have been reopened, following Wednesday’s incident.

Cameras showed traffic resuming in both directions at the Peace Bridge, the international bridge on the US-Canada border near Buffalo, New York.

The Lewiston-Queenston Bridge and Whirlpool Bridge were also expected to reopen later on Wednesday evening, New York Governor Kathy Hochul confirmed at a press conference.

Rainbow Bridge, where the vehicle explosion occurred, will remain closed as investigations continue.

New York Governor: ‘We need to dial down the temperature’

22:23 , Mike Bedigan

Governor Hochul reiterated that her conclusion on lack of terrorist motive was “based on briefings with experienced law enforcement”, adding that there was “no indication based on any online threats, anyone taking credit”.

“We need to dial down the temperature, all is well, we are still investigating but based on the preliminary investigation there is no sign of terrorism in this horrific explosion,” she said.

Car explodes in CCTV at US-Canada border crossing

22:20 , Mike Bedigan

New York Governor: ‘no sign of terrorist activity’

22:17 , Mike Bedigan

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she was “closely monitoring the situation” and later at a press conference said no threats had been made against the region.

“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,” she told reporters.

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

Toronto Police increase security ‘out of an abundance of caution’

22:15 , Mike Bedigan

Toronto Police said that it would be increasing patrols in the city following the incident at the US-Canada border, but that there were currently “no known threats” to the city.

“Due to today’s incident at the Canada-US border, we will be increasing directed patrols of uniformed officers throughout the city. This is out of an abundance of caution and there are no known threats for the city of #Toronto,” the force wrote on X.

New York State Governor to give update

22:11 , Mike Bedigan

New York State Governor Kathy Hochul is due to give a live update on the situation at the US-Canada border crossing.

Stay tuned.

22:10 , Mike Bedigan

Registered owner of vehicle involved in explosion identified, reports

21:59 , Mike Bedigan

CNN reports that authorities have identified the registered owner of the vehicle involved in the incident on the Rainbow Bridge.

A video canvass of the surrounding area in the hours before the incident found that the car appeared to have been at a nearby New York casino before approaching the border.

The FBI is working to identify the bodies of the dead occupant or occupants in the car and see if there’s any evidence of explosives, sources told CNN.

The outlet reported that authorities are trying to determine whether the car is registered to the driver at the scene, but the condition of the remains has made it difficult for authorities to determine the identity of the driver. The condition of the remains has also cast doubt on whether there were indeed one or two people in the vehicle at the time of the explosion.

New York Senator confirms two dead. No motive known yet

21:55 , Mike Bedigan

New York Senator Chuck Schumer said he had been briefed by the FBI on the incident at Niagara Falls, but authorities were yet to establish the identities of the two people involved, or any possible motive.

“I was just briefed by the @FBI on the incident at Rainbow Bridge Initial reports indicate the two people killed were in the car but nothing’s been determined on their identity or motive,” he wrote on X.

“They continue to investigate—law enforcement remains on heightened alert over Thanksgiving.”

‘It was like something you’d see in Hollywood’

21:50 , Mike Bedigan

Witness Rickie Wilson, a 65-year-old tour guide and DJ, said the crash looked like something out of a Hollywood movie.

Mr Wilson, who saw the speeding car leave the ground as it crashed, told The New York Times: “It hit a concrete barrier and went up.

“It came down and hit an inspection booth. Then there was a lot of black smoke, and then a fire.”

He added: “I know I sound crazy, but the car was in the air. And not three or four feet in the air. It was like something you see in Hollywood.”

Trudeau addresses explosion at Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls

21:48 , Mike Bedigan

Two dead in Niagara car explosion that closed US-Canada border crossings

21:40 , Mike Bedigan

A vehicle explosion that closed all four international border crossings between the United States and Canada in New York near Niagara Falls is being investigated as an attempted terrorist attack.

The explosion killed two people on the Rainbow Bridge. An official told The New York Times that no explosives had immediately been found in the wreck.

Graeme Massie has the full story:

Two dead in Niagara car explosion that closed US-Canada border crossings

Location of Rainbow Bridge explosion

21:38 , Ariana Baio

In pictures: The damage to US-Canada border crossing following explosion

21:20 , Mike Bedigan

(AP)

(AP)

(AP)

Footage show fiery aftermath of Niagara Falls border crossing explosion

21:13 , Mike Bedigan

Car did not contain explosives, preliminary report says

20:57 , Mike Bedigan

The New York Times reported that a preliminary investigation found that the car did not contain explosives.

Citing three law enforcement officials with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity to the outlet, the Times reported that investigators believed the explosion resulted from the impact of the collision.

A suitcase was found near the car but did not contain explosives, the official added.

Update: Reports say vehicle was on US side of crossing

20:51 , Mike Bedigan

Earlier reports from outlets including CNN have been updated. The vehicle involved in the explosion had been approaching the border crossing from the US side.

Contrary to earlier reports that stated that the vehicle had been directed to a secondary checkpoint, CNN now says that as the car headed towards a checkpoint area it accelarated to a “high rate of speed”, hit a curb and became airbourne before hitting a secondary checkpoint.

Officials told CNN say there is currently nothing to indicate an ongoing threat.

NYPD sends officers to support efforts on the ground at Niagara Falls

20:33 , Mike Bedigan

New York City mayor Eric Adams says that officers from the New York Police Department (NYPD) are being sent upstate to assist with operations on the ground at Niagara Falls.

Mr Adams wrote on X that enhanced security measures were already in place in the lead up to Thanksgiving on Thursday.

“The NYPD and our team have been closely monitoring the situation on the ground in Buffalo after an explosion at the Rainbow Bridge, and we’ve already sent NYPD officers upstate to support efforts on the ground,” he wrote.

“The NYPD and our partners have already enhanced security, and the city is on heightened alert due to the upcoming holiday, so the public will see increased security at locations across New York City, including entry and egress points into and out of the city.

“We have also reached out to, and are in ongoing communication with, partners from across different levels of government to assist with this effort. Our number one priority is, and always will be, the safety of New Yorkers.

“We will release additional information as it becomes available and will have more information to share this afternoon at our pre-arranged security briefing on the Thanksgiving Day Parade.”

Buffalo airport closes to international flights after Niagara Falls explosion

20:26 , Mike Bedigan

The Buffalo airport has been closed to all arriving and departing international flights, following the explosion at the US-Canada border crossing at Niagara Falls.

According to CNN, who cited sources in the FAA, there is no indication of when this closure will expire.

US Secretary of Transportation briefed on vehicle explosion

20:19 , Mike Bedigan

US Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg wrote on X: “I’ve been briefed by our staff in NY state and HQ on the explosion & related bridge closures on the US-Canada border and am in touch with my Canadian counterpart.

“Travelers in the area should follow instructions & updates from law enforcement & state officials on travel impacts.”

In pictures: The scene following Niagara Falls car explosion

20:08 , Mike Bedigan

Debris is scattered about inside the customs plaza at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, in Niagara Falls (AP)

Law enforcement personnel block off the entrance to the Rainbow Bridge, Wednesday, Nov. 22, 2023, in Niagara Falls, N.Y. (AP)

(Reuters)

Bystanders describe seeing ‘ball of fire’ at border crossing crash

19:54 , Mike Bedigan

Thick smoke, flames and a singed security booth could be seen in photos and video taken by bystanders and posted on social media. Videos showed that the fire was in a US Customs and Border Protection area just east of the main vehicle checkpoint.

Speaking to WGRZ-TV, witness Mike Guenther said he saw a vehicle speeding toward the crossing from the US 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,” Mr Guenther told the station. “I never saw anything like it.”

White House ‘closely monitoring’ situation

19:50 , Mike Bedigan

The White House is “closely monitoring” the incident at the Rainbow Bridge crossing near Niagara Falls.

“The White House is closely monitoring the situation and law enforcement is on-scene and investigating,” a White House official told The Independent

President Joe Biden is currently in Nantucket, Massachusetts, where he is spending the Thanksgiving holiday with family, according to CNN.

Watch: Live view of Niagara Falls after explosion at US-Canada bridge

19:45 , Mike Bedigan

Watch a live view of Niagara Falls after explosion at US-Canada bridge

Law enforcement confirms two dead in Niagara Falls blast

19:41 , Mike Bedigan

The two occupants of a car that exploded at the US-Canada border crossing at Niagara Falls are dead, a law enforcement source told CNN.

The vehicle had been attempting to enter the US from the Canadian side of the border on the bridge that connects Canada to New York State.

It went through the initial checkpoint where they examine passports and licenses and then was directed to another area for a secondary search, CNN reported.

Speculating on cause of explosion ‘not responsible’ – Canadian Public Safety Minister

19:29 , Mike Bedigan

Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, said that national authorities were monitoring the situation “minute by minute with our American counterparts”.

Speaking to reporters, Mr LeBlanc said that he and prime minister Justin Trudeau were receiving “regular updates” from law enforcement, but that to speculate on the cause of the blast would be “simply not responsible”.

Soonafter Mr Trudeau told the Canadian parliament “there are lot of questions and we are following up to get as many answers as possible”.

He added that they were taking the situation “extraordinarily seriously”.

Canadian Prime Minister briefed on situation at Niagara Falls

19:21 , Mike Bedigan

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been briefed on the situation unfolding in Niagara Falls.

CNN report that police are due to give an update shortly.

Ontario Premier ‘aware of situation’

19:15 , Mike Bedigan

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said provincial law enforcement was “actively engaged” with the unfolding situation.

“I’ve been made aware of the situation unfolding on the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls. Our provincial law enforcement is actively engaged in assessing the situation. They are working with local law enforcement and are providing support as required,” Mr Ford wrote on X.

FBI field office describes situation as ‘very fluid’

19:08 , Mike Bedigan

The FBI field office in Buffalo, New York, described the situation as “very fluid” in a statement posted to X shortly following the incident.

“The FBI Buffalo Field Office is investigating a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge, a border crossing between the U.S. and Canada in Niagara Falls The FBI is coordinating with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in this investigation,” the statement read.

“As this situation is very fluid, that’s all we can say at this time.”

Multiple US-Canada border crossings closed after car explodes on Rainbow Bridge near Niagara Falls

19:03 , Josh Marcus

All four international border crossings between the United States and Canada in New York have been closed after a vehicle exploded on the Rainbow Bridge, near Niagara Falls.

City of Niagara officials said that the incident on Wednesday involved a vehicle trying to enter the US, with the FBI Field Office in Buffalo describing the incident as an “explosion.”

The Rainbow Bridge connects the US and Canadian cities of Niagara Falls and is located less than a mile from the famed waterfalls themselves.

The Peace Bridge, Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, Whirlpool Bridge, and Rainbow Bridge were all also closed in both directions

Niagara Falls partly freezes as temperature dips in US after bomb cyclone.

Graeme Massie is following the latest details for The Independent.

An explosion rocks a busy crossing near Niagara Falls

19:02 , Josh Marcus

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of an explosion that took place on the Rainbow Bridge between the US and Canada.

We’ll be following all the latest news on this rapidly developing situation. Stay tuned.