New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said it was too early to determine what caused the explosion, but early indications are that it was an “intentional act”.
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Following the discovery of the device, residents were warned to stay away from windows along West 27th street.
Just hours before the explosion, a trash can along the route for a Marine Corps charity run blew up on the Seaside, New Jersey boardwalk.
But a U.S. official said that 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. The explosion, which seriously injured at least one person, happened on West 23rd Street late Saturday in an area frequented by shoppers and diners. Trump also said tough measures needs to be taken. One of those hurt suffered a puncture wound that was considered serious.
Bomb squad officers removed the device from the site and were preparing to transfer it to a safe location to conduct a controlled explosion away from the heavily residential area. Police said it had been removed safely. New York City officials are planning to give an update at noon ET.
Authorities have not determined the cause of the blast or who may have set it off, New York Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill said Saturday night.
New York Police Department spokesman J. Peter Donald said several people were taken to hospitals with injuries.
Police say 26 people have sustained minor injuries in the explosion on West 23rd Street.
Numerous injuries were caused by shrapnel from the explosion, which witnesses said seemed to have come from a sidewalk dumpster on West 23rd Street near the Avenue of the Americas. Officials said around 3 a.m. Sunday that the second device is no longer a threat.
Chris Gonzalez, visiting from Dallas, was having dinner with friends at a restaurant in the area. She said the restaurant went quiet. However, the Associated Press reports that it came from a construction toolbox positioned outside a building.
No injuries were reported at the New Jersey incident.
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While authorities did not immediately confirm the nature of the explosion, the New York Police Department’s counterterrorism bureau posted a photo online of what appeared to be a Dumpster or garbage container mangled by a blast.
