A vehicle exploded on the Rainbow Bridge, a border bridge between the United States and Canada , at Niagara Falls.
The explosion caused two deaths , the people who were inside the vehicle, and injured two people : a border agent and a passer-by, a 27-year-old man taken to Niagara Falls Memorial Hospital with injuries defined as non-serious.
The FBI, the Border Police and the New York State Police are investigating the incident. Fox News speaks openly of a terrorist attack and, citing its sources, reports that there were explosives involved .
According to an initial reconstruction, shortly before noon a car coming from the Canadian side of the border with the United States exploded after accelerating during the control process at the checkpoint , while heading towards a secondary control area. A witness, Mike Guenther of Ontario, reported seeing it speed at 160 km per hour, then fly into the area and explode in a "ball of fire" .
Maximum alert in the area, all four bridges between Canada and the United States over the Niagara River were closed, government buildings in the Rainbow Bridge area were also evacuated .
Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau were informed of the episode. The Canadian authorities initially downplayed the episode, then Trudeau intervened personally, speaking of a "very serious" situation . The White House is also "closely monitoring the situation" and the authorities of the two countries are "in close contact".
(Unioneonline/L)