The vehicle that exploded on Rainbow Bridge after hurtling into America from Canada this morning flew through the air at high speed before bursting into flames next to an immigration checkpoint.
It remains unconfirmed if the incident was a terror attack. The FBI Terrorism Task Force is investigating and Fox News cites law enforcement sources who say the intention was a larger attack, but officials are yet to confirm the motive.
Two men who had been traveling in the vehicle both died in the explosion. Their identities remain unknown and there were no other serious injuries.
A suitcase was found inside the vehicle but it remains unconfirmed whether there were any explosives inside.
Video obtained by CNBC shows the moment the vehicle became airborne, seconds before the explosion.
One immigration officer was injured, but no one else was seriously hurt, according to a Border Patrol Agent assigned to the bridge who spoke to DailyMail.com on the condition of anonymity.
The immediate aftermath of the explosion on the US side of the Rainbow Bridge border crossing at Niagara Falls on Wednesday
Witnesses say the car drove at 100mph down the wrong lane, hurtling towards America from Canada, then exploded
Video taken from a building next to the checkpoint shows the enormous blast
The aftermath of the explosion at Rainbow Bridge border crossing at Niagara Falls on Wednesday after a suspected terror attack
Witnesses and law enforcement officials say the vehicle hurtled down the wrong lane from Canada towards the US at 100mph then went airborne before exploding in front of a second checkpoint.
The Rainbow Bridge is the busiest land crossing between the US and Canada and was particularly busy on Wednesday with many traveling between the two countries for Thanksgiving.
Buffalo Airport is now closed as a result of the incident.
It comes just two days after an intelligence report signaled increased risk of a terror attack in New York City.
Some NYPD officers have been redistributed to assist in Niagara, New York City Mayor Eric Adams said today.
The force had already been placed on heightened alert for the holiday and amid rising tensions globally surrounding the Israel Hamas war.
After the explosion, motorists who’d driven into America were told to leave their vehicles and walk back into Canada while the cars were checked for bombs.
MSNBC cites unnamed law enforcement officials who say no other devices have yet been found.
Witnesses who were in the US Customs and Immigration building next to the bridge were turned away, ordered to walk back over the bridge and leave their vehicles on the US side to be checked.
‘My own van was parked so close to the car that exploded, if you watch the video, the car was right on the left hand side,’ said one man who had just crossed over with his family and filmed the flames.
‘When the explosion happened, we heard it like a loud boom. I heard it but I didn’t think it was something serious. Someone said “oh my god, the car exploded.’
An aerial view shows where the car exploded on the American side of the bridge, just next to the toll checkpoint tourists and motorists must pass through
The explosion left the vehicle in pieces next to the toll checkpoint in
The explosion on Wednesday was reported shortly after 11.22am. It is one of if not the busiest crossings between Canada and the US
‘We all went to watch. Then the US border and custom officials came out of their glass room and then I grabbed my phone, said I need to film this before they start moving us away from here.
‘The smoke got thicker, and thicker and thicker. We’re there then US Customs come out and said all of us we need to move this way.
‘They moved us to a safe passage,’ said one man, whose truck was parked ‘next’ the burning vehicle. The FBI Terrorism Task Force is investigating.
‘The FBI Buffalo Field Office is investigating a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge, a border crossing between the US and Canada in Niagara Falls.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was taking questions during a parliamentary session when he learned of the explosion. He departed swiftly after reading a brief statement. President Biden, who is in Nantucket for Thanksgiving, has been briefed
New York State Police at the scene on Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday afternoon after a vehicle exploded
The explosion was reported on Wednesday afternoon. It’s unclear if there are any fatalities or injuries, and the origin of it remains unknown
Smoke billows out of the toll checkpoint on Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday afternoon
‘The FBI is coordinating with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in this investigation.
‘As this situation is very fluid, that’s all we can say at this time,’ the bureau said.
A tourist visiting Canada who at the scene told DailyMail.com she could see plumes of smoke rise into the air and were told they wouldn’t be able to cross.
Photos she took shortly after the event saw white smoke rising from the scene.
She was attempting to cross over into the US for a walk from Canada when they were turned around.
She said: ‘It must have just happened as we’d come up to it. Moments before the guard had said as long as we have passports, it’s fine.
‘Then we were told not go over and to try again in a couple of hours.’
The Rainbow Bridge crossing from Canada into the US