Car explodes at Canada-U.S. border crossing near Niagara Falls

The FBI is investigating the explosion of a vehicle at a Canada-U.S. border crossing near Niagara Falls.

In a post on social media, the FBI’s Buffalo field office said the explosion happened at the Rainbow Bridge, which spans the Niagara River.

#FBI Buffalo statement on investigation at the Rainbow Bridge: pic.twitter.com/jRaGLL8sU8

— FBI Buffalo (@FBIBuffalo) November 22, 2023

The FBI said the explosion happened on the American side of the bridge.

Late Wednesday afternoon, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said there wasn’t any evidence to indicate the crash was an act of terrorism.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing a vehicle that originated on the U.S. side travelling toward the customs kiosks at high speed before crashing in a burst of flames.

The Associated Press reported that two people in the vehicle were killed.

LATEST: The Rainbow Bridge connecting the U.S. and Canada at Niagara Falls, New York, has been closed after a vehicle explosion, according to the FBI.

The Niagara Falls NY Mayor’s Office has released a statement: "There has been an incident involving a vehicle coming into the… pic.twitter.com/R4AAx0sm6J

— ABC News (@ABC) November 22, 2023

Four bridges between Canada and New York were closed after the explosion. By 4:30 p.m., three of them had reopened.

According to the Canada Border Services Agency website, there weren’t any delays at the border crossing between Saskatchewan and North Dakota.

The incident came just one week after FBI director Christopher Wray warned a congressional committee about a heightened risk of extremism linked to the Israel-Hamas war.

— With files from The Canadian Press