The explosion occurred on Wednesday, November 22, at a checkpoint on the American side of a US-Canada bridge in Niagara Falls. The explosion killed two people and closed four border crossings in the area.
Here are some new details about the vehicle explosion at the US-Canada border crossing at Niagara Falls:
- The FBI has handed the case over to the Niagara Falls Police Department.
- The driver was a resident of western New York State.
- The couple had planned to attend a KISS concert in Canada, but the concert was canceled.
- The car was incinerated, with only the engine left.
- Debris was scattered across about a dozen booths at the checkpoint.
- One border worker in a booth had minor injuries and was taken to a hospital.
- The FBI found no evidence of explosives or connections to any terrorist groups.
- New York Governor Kathy Hochul ruled out terrorism.
Dramatic footage captured the vehicle speeding up before it hit a curb on the US side of the border, became airborne and then combusted, killing the pair inside.
The blast instantly sparked fears of a terrorist attack but New York Governor Kathy Hochul and FBI officials later said there was “no sign of terrorist activity”.
Instead, law enforcement sources told CNN that the victims were a local New York man and his wife, who have not been named, who were planning to attend a KISS concert in Canada on Wednesday night.
The gig was cancelled and so they stopped by the Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino before the vehicle made the ill-fated trip towards the US-Canada border crossing.