A car exploded at the US-Canada border. The incident happened at the border crossing between the US state of New York and the Canadian province of Ontario near the famous Niagara Falls, said New York State Governor Kathy Hochul. The state police are working together with the FBI’s terrorism unit to monitor all access routes to New York. “We take this extremely seriously,” said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. They are in close contact with the US authorities. A total of four border crossings have been closed. However, the authorities do not believe it was an act of terrorism. At this point in time there is no evidence of a terrorist attack, said Governor Hochul at a press conference on Wednesday.
The exact course of the incident was initially unclear and there were contradictory reports. According to an eyewitness, the car in question flew several meters high through the air. The vehicle was traveling at high speed on the US side towards the border with Canada on Wednesday afternoon. Then it flew three to four meters high through the air and finally exploded.
The two occupants of the car were dead, the US broadcaster CNN initially reported, citing unnamed sources. Otherwise there were no further fatalities, it was said. There was initially no official information. According to media reports, a border guard was slightly injured.
There were initially no details about the extent of the damage to the border facilities. The FBI in Buffalo and the Border Patrol confirmed the incident. The FBI in Buffalo said he was under investigation. Photos showed rubble and a heavy police presence at the border crossing. The head of the government of the province of Ontario, Doug Ford, said that the investigative authorities were also involved on the Canadian side. The White House said US President Joe Biden had been informed of the incident. He and his team followed developments closely.
Security precautions have been increased at other border crossings and at some airports. Some official buildings in cities near the incident closed earlier than usual. The Thanksgiving holiday in the USA is on Thursday, when family and friends traditionally meet. The day before has some of the busiest traffic of the entire year.