Current:Home > MarketsBorder crossings closed after vehicle explosion on bridge connecting New York and Canada -TrueNorth Finance Path
Border crossings closed after vehicle explosion on bridge connecting New York and Canada
View
Date:2025-04-12 13:38:09
NIAGARA FALLS, 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! (32922)
Related
- Tree trimmer dead after getting caught in wood chipper at Florida town hall
- As a new generation rises, tension between free speech and inclusivity on college campuses simmers
- Christian McCaffrey, Tyreek Hill, Fred Warner unanimous selections for AP All-Pro Team
- Mayday call from burning cargo ship in New Jersey prompted doomed rescue effort for 2 firefighters
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- A Proud Boys member who wielded an axe handle during the Capitol riot gets over 4 years in prison
- Tragedy unravels idyllic suburban life in 'Mothers' Instinct' trailer with Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain
- Q&A: In New Hampshire, Nikki Haley Touts Her Role as UN Ambassador in Pulling the US Out of the Paris Climate Accord
- Finally, good retirement news! Southwest pilots' plan is a bright spot, experts say
- Michigan to pay $1.75 million to innocent man after 35 years in prison
Ranking
- Sonya Massey's father decries possible release of former deputy charged with her death
- 'Get wild': Pepsi ad campaign pokes fun at millennial parents during NFL Wild Card weekend
- Buffalo shooter who killed 10 at Tops supermarket to face death penalty in federal case
- After Alabama speculation, Florida State coach Mike Norvell signs 8-year extension
- Kylie Jenner Shows Off Sweet Notes From Nieces Dream Kardashian & Chicago West
- Hundreds of thousands of people are in urgent need of assistance in Congo because of flooding
- Tearful Russian billionaire who spent $2 billion on art tells jurors Sotheby’s cheated him
- Former Connecticut mayoral candidate pleads guilty to Jan. 6 Capitol breach charge
Recommendation
Sam Taylor
Parents facing diaper duty could see relief from bipartisan tax legislation introduced in Kentucky
Kate Cox on her struggle to obtain an abortion in Texas
Buffalo shooter who killed 10 at Tops supermarket to face death penalty in federal case
Selena Gomez's "Weird Uncles" Steve Martin and Martin Short React to Her Engagement
Colorado Town Appoints Legal Guardians to Implement the Rights of a Creek and a Watershed
Belarusian journalist goes on trial for covering protests, faces up to 6 years in prison
Simon Cowell’s Cute New Family Member Has Got a Talent for Puppy Dog Eyes