A day after 29 people sustained injuries in an explosion in New York City’s Chelsea district, authorities are now investigating one of five devices found in a backpack in New Jersey on Sunday.
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The security alert that has gripped the United States in the wake of the Manhattan bombing has escalated after five explosive devices were discovered in a backpack in a New Jersey train station.
The backpack in Elizabeth was discovered on Sunday evening by two men scavenging trash who reported the package to police after seeing “wires and a pipe”, Bollwage said.
NJ Transit services between Newark Liberty Airport and Elizabeth were suspended Monday morning, while New Jersey-bound Amtrak trains were being held at New York Penn Station, The Associated Press reported.
Another official told newsmen that it was a controlled device blast, while adding four other explosive devices were also present inside the package.
“If that pub was crowded and there was a lot of people there, it could have severely injured, killed and maimed many, many people”, Bollwage said.
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Sunday that investigators so far have not found any connection to worldwide terrorist groups, and that there is no further immediate threat to the city.
Authorities have not declared a motive or connection behind the weekend’s attacks. Mayor Christian Bollwage told reporters that the squad used a drone to determine if they were dealing with a bomb.
While officials said the events had not been linked to worldwide terrorism, the security threat put residents, police and security personnel on high alert as three explosions took place over the weekend but did not cause any fatalities.
The FBI and State Police were called to the scene to decide how to remove the device. A pressure cooker device was also found blocks away, but it didn’t explode.
Police investigating the bombings in NY and New Jersey have been saying for several days they were looking for the men, who they stressed were being sought as potential witnesses in the case, not as suspects.
The pipe bomb that exploded Saturday in Seaside Park went off before a charity 5K race to benefit Marines and sailors.
The FBI is investigating the mall attack as a possible act of terrorism. The men took it around the corner thinking there was something of value in it, but notified police when they saw wires and a pipe inside the bag.
The station, in Elizabeth, New Jersey, was evacuated alongside businesses in the surrounding area.
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Security had already been tightened in the city for the U.N. General Assembly, but the presence of officers throughout New York City after the blast will be “bigger than ever”, Mayor Bill de Blasio said.
