The Rainbow Bridge border crossing between the US and Canada witnessed a tragic incident on Wednesday when a car that had crossed from the Canadian side exploded, killing its two occupants. The car had gone through the initial checkpoint for passports and licenses and was directed to another area for a secondary search when the explosion occurred, causing authorities to rush to the scene. The cause of the explosion remains unknown, and it has sparked a multi-agency investigation by the FBI, New York State Police, and US Customs and Border Protection, with the aim of retrieving video footage from various angles and questioning witnesses to determine the circumstances leading to the explosion.
Images from the scene posted on social media showed the remains of the vehicle scattered on the US-side of the border crossing, with thick smoke and fire visible in the aftermath of the explosion. While the car’s occupants suffered fatal injuries, there were no reports of serious injuries to anyone else at the scene of the incident. The situation remains fluid, as authorities continue their investigation into the explosion. The FBI has called for coordination among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies as they work to gather more information and establish the cause of the explosion. The Niagara International Transportation Technology Coalition reported that the bridge was closed on both sides due to a crash, and camera footage from the coalition captured the haze surrounding the bridge shortly after the incident occurred. The seriousness of the situation was underscored by Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who emphasized the need for a careful and responsible approach to speculating on the events leading to the tragic explosion.
