Rainbow Bridge: Two die in explosion in Niagara Falls after car crashes at ‘very high speed’
Two people have died after the vehicle they were in exploded on a bridge connecting the US and Canada.
The car crashed into a checkpoint on the US side of the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls at high speed and caught on fire, according to Sky’s US partner network NBC News.
Senior law enforcement officials said there was no indication that a bomb was inside, as an initial search did not find a secondary explosive or device.
Police at the scene
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said there was “no indication of a terrorist attack”.
Authorities are trying to determine whether the crash was intentional, and the FBI has warned that the situation is “very fluid”.
An initial assessment suggests the incident was caused by a reckless driver.
The Rainbow Bridge, which connects the two nations across the Niagara River, has been shut along with three other border crossings in the area.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport in New York state began security checks on all cars and told passengers to expect additional screenings.
The incident comes a day before Thanksgiving – a US public holiday when millions of Americans visit friends and family. Many people will have already started their journeys.
Canada’s public safety minister Dominic LeBlanc said it was too soon to say if the crash was a deliberate act.
Police officers block the entrance to the Rainbow Bridge
‘Ball of fire’
Images and video purportedly from the border control scene showed a blaze and debris on the ground. A security booth was singed by flames.
Witness Mike Guenther said he saw a vehicle speeding towards the crossing from the US side of the border when it swerved to avoid another car, crashed into a fence and exploded.
“All of a sudden he went up in the air and then it was a ball of fire like 30ft or 40ft high,” he told WGRZ-TV.
Ivan Vitalii, a Ukrainian man visiting the area, told The Niagara Gazette that he and a friend were near the bridge when they “heard something smash”.
“We saw fire and big, black smoke,” he told the newspaper.
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Speaking in Canada’s parliament, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said: “This is obviously a very serious situation in Niagara Falls.
“We are taking this extraordinary seriously.”
He said “additional measures” were being contemplated and activated at border crossings across Canada.
Donald Trump has waded into the debate surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s jeans ad.
The American Eagle ad, which features the 27-year-old actress, who starred in the HBO series Euphoria and White Lotus, has the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans”.
It has sparked a debate in the US over race and Western beauty standards.
One of the Sydney Sweeney jeans ads. Pic: AP
In a Truth Social post, the US president described it as the “hottest ad out there”.
Hailing Sweeney as a “registered Republican”, he said the jeans are “flying off the shelves”, adding: “Go get ’em Sydney!”
Most of the criticism of the ad has centred on videos using the word “genes” instead of “jeans”, with one in which Sweeney says: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”
Critics argued the play on words potentially promotes eugenics, a discredited theory that believed humanity could be improved through the selective breeding of certain traits.
But others have defended the ad, saying the critics are reading too much into its message.
The video appeared on American Eagle’s Facebook page and other social media channels, but is not part of the ad campaign.
In a statement on Instagram on Friday, American Eagle Outfitters said the campaign “is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone.”
Stocks in American Eagle Outfitters jumped by 23.3% after Mr Trump’s intervention.
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In his Truth Social post, which he reposted three times to fix various typos, Mr Trump compared the ad with “woke” ones “on the other side of the ledger” – as he criticised other companies, as well as hitting out at Taylor Swift.
“The tide has seriously turned – Being WOKE is for losers, being Republican is what you want to be,” he wrote.
Sky News has contacted Sweeney’s agent for comment.
Police in Tennessee have discovered 14 improvised explosive devices in a man’s home as they were arresting him, the local sheriff’s office said.
Officers were executing a warrant in the home of Kevin Wade O’Neal in Old Fort, about 45 miles (70km) east of Chattanooga, after he had threatened to kill public officials and law enforcement personnel in Polk County.
After arresting the 54-year-old, officers noticed “something smouldering” in the bedroom where he was found.
Kevin Wade O’Neal. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
On closer inspection, they discovered an improvised explosive device and evacuated the house until bomb squad officers arrived at the scene.
Fourteen devices were found inside the property – none of which detonated.
Improvised explosive devices were found in Kevin Wade O’Neal’s home. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
Kevin Wade O’Neal’s home in Old Fort, Tennessee. Pic: Polk County Sheriff’s Office
O’Neal was charged with 11 counts of attempted first-degree murder, corresponding to nine officers and two other people inside the property when the suspect tried to detonate the devices.
He also faces 14 counts of prohibited weapons and one count of possession of explosive components.
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O’Neal is being held at the Polk County jail and his bond is yet to be determined.
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