A car exploded on the Rainbow Bridge in Niagra Falls on Wednesday, just two days after New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned of increased chatter.
The massive explosion that occurred at a toll checkpoint and killed two people in the car is believed to be the result of a terrorist attack.
It is unclear whether anyone besides the occupants of the car was injured.
CBS News reported that Hochul already took action on Monday to increase security and expand the staffing of the Joint Terrorism Task Force as a direct result of escalating violence in the Middle East.
“I work hard at the state level with the control I have. I’ll talk about this tomorrow, about what exactly we’re doing, and how many online threats we’ve uncovered, how many have been investigated, what the outcome is,” Hochul said.
A car exploded today at Rainbow Bridge in Niagra Falls, just two days after New York Governor Kathy Hochul issued a warning about increased chatter
The aftermath of the explosion at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing near Niagara Falls on Wednesday following a suspected terrorist attack
New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned of increased chatter due to the war in the Middle East
She further spoke about the new steps she wants to take to combat radicalization and online threats.
Just last week, Hochul committed $2.5 million to add more state police investigators to the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York City, Buffalo, Albany and Rochester.
Fox News has cited law enforcement sources as saying the bridge explosion was a bigger attack to kill more people.
The FBI Terrorism Task Force is currently investigating and officials have yet to determine a motive. It is also unclear whether anyone else was injured besides the two passengers in the car.
The city of Niagara Falls says the explosion came from a car trying to enter the U.S. from Canada. It comes just two days after an intelligence report flagged an increased risk of a terror attack in New York City.
After the explosion, motorists crossing into America were told to abandon their vehicles and walk back into Canada while the cars were checked for bombs.
Witnesses who were in the U.S. Customs and Immigration building next to the bridge were turned away and ordered to walk back across the bridge and leave their vehicles on the U.S. side for inspection.
The vehicle was left in pieces after the explosion next to the toll checkpoint
‘There was an explosion near the tall building you go into.
‘My own van was parked so close to the car that it exploded. If you watch the video, the car was right on the left,” said a man who had just crossed with his family.
“When the explosion happened, we heard it as a loud bang. I heard it, but I didn’t think it was anything serious. Someone said, “Oh my god, the car exploded.” ‘
In a statement from Hochul on Tuesday, she made clear that her “first priority has been and will continue to be protecting the safety of our residents.”
Since October 7, threats against Jews, Muslims and Arabs have increased by 400 percent. And make no mistake, we have not stood idly by,” she said.
