The explosion at the U.S.-Canada border - what was it?
The FBI conducted the investigation in cooperation with Canadian law enforcement.
On November 22, an explosion occurred on the Rainbow Bridge separating the United States and Canada, killing two people. It happened around 11:30 a.m. local time on the U.S. side of the checkpoint. Surveillance footage shows a car rushing down the road leading to the border checkpoint, then it leaves the roadway, crosses the divider and explodes.
Reasons
The FBI was immediately involved in the investigation of the incident. In the first hours after the event, the words "terrorist attack" and "terrorism" were heard, but today this version has been dropped. U.S. and Canadian officials characterize what happened as a traffic accident.
"“A search of the scene revealed no explosive materials, and no terrorism nexus was identified," said a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Buffalo office.
However, the exact causes of exactly what caused the car explosion have not yet been reported. Ontario law enforcement agencies are "actively involved" in assessing the situation and are working with U.S. officials as needed, according to Premier Doug Ford.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul called the released surveillance footage "surreal."
Casualties and casualties
The explosion killed two people riding in the car — a 2022 Bentley. According to some media reports, it was a married couple driving from a casino in the US towards Ontario. They were originally going to go to a Kiss concert in Canada, but it was canceled.
The car was traveling fast (about 160 km/h) and flew over a fence 8 feet (2.4 m) high. As a result of the explosion, the car was completely burned and nothing was left of it except the engine. Not even the license plate could be found.
A border guard officer from the American side was also injured by the explosion. He received minor injuries and was promptly taken to hospital. He has since been treated and released.
What's going on at the border crossing right now
A fatal incident led to the closure of all four border crossings in the Niagara region on the eve before Thanksgiving in the United States. Normally about 6,000 vehicles cross the Rainbow Bridge each day, but last year on Thanksgiving Day that number was 11,993 — nearly double the number.
The Rainbow Bridge allows crossing the border on foot, while commercial vehicles are prohibited. For these reasons, this checkpoint is very popular with tourists wishing to view Niagara.
The Rainbow Bridge is one of four land border crossings in the region, connecting Ontario and New York State. The other three — the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge, Peace Bridge and Whirlpool-Rapids Bridge — were closed for several hours after the explosion, but reopened the same day in the evening.
The Rainbow Bridge remains closed to this day.
