Officials say they do not believe the explosion is linked to terrorism, but they do believe it was an intentional act.
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An explosion rocked New York’s Chelsea neighbourhood, a busy residential and commercial area in the city.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio says there is no reason to think that the explosion in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood had a terrorist connection, but he did call the blast an “intentional act”.
But a US official said that a Joint Terrorism Task Force, an interagency group of federal, state and local officials, was called to investigate the Chelsea blast, suggesting authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a terror connection. After the explosion, she said that her ear was ringing for 15 minutes.
Photos from the scene show a twisted and crumpled black metal box.
The blast, according to a Reuters witness, occurred on 23rd Street, a major east-west thoroughfare in the fashionable downtown neighborhood of Chelsea.
Following the 8:30 p.m. explosion, an NYPD Terror unit and Bomb Squad were dispatched in order to investigate the scene for explosive devices. Officials said 29 people were injured.
The New York Fire Department said 29 people were wounded in the blast, with one person in a serious condition. No one was injured.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo released the following statement on the explosion in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City.
“We felt it, we heard it, the restaurant went real quiet, the 26-year-old Gonzalez said”.
Manhattan: Box 615, West 23 St & 6th Ave.
Jain said the explosion shattered the glass in her building’s lobby. “It was extremely loud, nearly like thunder, but louder”.
The federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms said a NY arson and explosives task force was responding to the blast.
President Obama has been briefed on the situation, according to a White House official. More than two dozen people have been injured as a result of the explosion. The suspect was believed to be dead. “I want to assure all New Yorkers that the NYPD and. agencies are at full alert”, he said.
She says the nation needs to support its first responders and “pray for the victims”.
“We will update you w/more when we have it”, Donald said.
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“And nobody knows exactly what’s going on”, Trump told the crowd at a Colorado Springs rally.
