“None appear to be life-threatening at this time”, the Fire Department NY tweeted.
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Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a news conference just hours after the blast, there was “early indication that [the explosion] was an intentional act”. “There is no evidence at this point that there is a terror connection to this incident”.
“Tonight, New York City experienced a very bad incident”, de Blasio said at a news conference near the scene.
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that a local police official has said a second explosive device, which could have been intended for a second blast, has been discovered.
The mayor also said there is no specific connection to a pipe bomb explosion in the New Jersey shore town of Seaside Park earlier Saturday at a charity run.
NYPD police commissioner James O’Neill said there were 29 people injured, one of which was serious due to a “puncture” wound.
Police were also responding to reports of a possible second device. Trump made the remarks about 45 minutes after the explosion was reported, before authorities had made any determinations about what had happened and while the situation was still in flux. Witnesses say the explosion blew out the windows of businesses in the area.
The explosion came just after 8:30 p.m. ET at 133 W. 23rd St., between Sixth and Seventh Avenue in a neighborhood known for its vibrant nightlife.
And on Sunday night, five explosive devices were found near an Elizabeth, New Jersey, train station.
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“A bomb exploding in NY is obviously an act of terrorism, but it’s not linked to worldwide terrorism”, Cuomo said. There is a surveillance video of the scene that will be investigated. The city’s police force sent out an alert asking people to avoid 23rd street on Avenues 6 and 7, saying there would be traffic and emergency services in the area. He added that the site of the blast, outside on a major thoroughfare in the fashionable New York City district, was being treated as a crime scene. The race had been running late, but authorities said they believed the device had been timed to explode as runners went by the trash bin.
