On Sunday morning, police were carefully reviewing surveillance video frame by frame to determine who may have planted the explosives.
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Authorities said “extensive search” is being conducted in the area and the neighbourhood and ruled out gas as the reason for the explosion. They are processing the scene, Casarez reports.
“Several injured transported to area hospitals”, he wrote. None of the officials would say at this point what was inside the pressure cooker, which has since been removed from the scene.
Meanwhile, Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump might be in the spotlight, again, for saying that a “bomb went off in NY”.
Witnesses say Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security officials are also at the scene.
Crews responded to the scene at 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue shortly before 9 p.m. Saturday.
I’ve been briefed about the bombings in NY and New Jersey. Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a press conference after the blast that it was an “intentional act”.
At a news conference, the mayor said there was no specific and creditable threat against NY by any terror organization.
The explosion, though not yet linked to any terrorist organisation appears to be intentional the mayor said.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump called it a “bomb” blast and said the country has to turn up its vigilance against such attacks.
The White House said President Barack Obama has been apprised of the explosion and will be updated as additional information becomes available.
The NYPD Special Operations Division says a possible secondary device has been located.
NYPD police commissioner James O’Neill said there were 29 people injured, one of which was serious due to a “puncture” wound.
The blast was caused by a homemade bomb placed in a sidewalk dumpster on West 23rd Street, said the authorities. The source stressed this is preliminary and is not conclusive.
What happened to the second device? . No injuries were reported in that blast, from a device planted in a plastic trash can along the route of a charity foot race. CNN cited law enforcement sources as saying they believed an improvised explosive device caused the blast.
The area of the explosion is packed with restaurants, subway stations, shops, businesses and art galleries.
Police said investigations are ongoing and had advised people to avoid the area.
The New York explosion came less than a week after USA security chiefs were on high alert for the 15th anniversary of of the 9/11 attacks and on the eve a major United Nations summit on the global refugee and migrant crisis hosted by President Barack Obama and attended by several world leaders in New York. But she said she would wait until she had more information before commenting further.
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Chris Gonzalez, visiting from Dallas, was having dinner with friends at a restaurant in the area.
