Explosino casino
New details are emerging about the two people killed in the vehicle explosion at the US-Canada border crossing at Niagara Falls on Wednesday.
Law enforcement sources told CNN that a local New York man and his wife, who have not been identified, planned to attend a KISS concert in Canada but the gig was cancelled.
The pair spent the night briefly visiting a casino near the border before the speeding Bentley they were travelling in rammed into the crossing at Rainbow Bridge, the sources said.
The Seneca Nation, which owns and operates the Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino, said a vehicle stopped at the resort and casino “for a matter of minutes shortly before the crash.”
The vehicle then drove less than a mile away to the bridge where it hit a curb on the US side of the border, became airborne and then combusted, according to the FBI field office in Buffalo.
The blast instantly sparked fears of a terrorist attack but New York Governor Kathy Hochul later said there was “no sign of terrorist activity”.
Key Points
New York couple killed in Rainbow Bridge explosion ‘planned to go to KISS concert’
Casino where car stopped before crash cooperating with police
Dramatic surveillance footage captures fiery car crash
New York Governor Hochul says ‘no sign of terrorist activity’
Map of Rainbow Bridge explosion
Rainbow Bridge reopens after fiery car crash
, Rachel Sharp
The Rainbow Bridge reopened on Thursday – one day after the fiery car crash that left a New York couple dead.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced the development in a post on X on Thanksgiving.
“Only one day after the horrific incident on the Rainbow Bridge closed nearby cross-border travel for hours, the bridge is now reopen,” she said.
“I am grateful to the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, @CBP, & all working to keep New Yorkers safe during the busiest travel time of the year.”
Casino where car stopped before crash cooperating with police
, Ariana Baio
A vehicle involved in the explosion at Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday stopped at Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino just moments beforehand, the Seneca Nation said in a statement provided to The Independent.
Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino is a gaming facility and resort located less than a mile from the Rainbow Bridge which connects the US to Canada.
The Seneca Nation, which owns and operates the casino, said a vehicle stopped at its location “only for a matter of minutes shortly before the crash occurred”. They did not confirm if the vehicle was the one that crashed and exploded.
After reviewing information regarding the vehicle, the Seneca Nation said it provided it to law enforcement in their investigation into the explosion that killed two people.
“We are cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation into the incident that occurred near the Rainbow Bridge. We have reviewed and provided information related to a vehicle that stopped at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino only for a matter of minutes shortly before the crash occurred,” the Seneca Nation said.
Driver of vehicle was New York resident
, Ariana Baio
In a press conference earlier, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that the driver of the vehicle was a “western New York resident”.
Ms Hochul said that she could not confirm reports that the vehicle had been travelling from a nearby casino to Toronto, adding: “but there is suspicion that the vehicle may have originated in that vicinity”.
There were two occupants in the vehicle, a man and a woman, when the car crashed near the US-Canada border crossing and burst into flames.
Their identities have not been confirmed by the Niagara Falls Police Department yet.
Tributes pour in for couple killed in fiery crash on Rainbow Bridge
, Rachel Sharp
Tributes are pouring in for the New York couple who were killed in the fiery car crash on the Rainbow Bridge which connects the US and Canada.
Though they are yet to be formally named by investigators, devastated friends, neighbours and loved ones in the upstate New York community of Grand Island know the victims’ identities and are devastated by what has happened.
The husband and wife were members of Niagara Sailing Club on Grand Island, the club’s treasurer Scott Henderson told NBC-affiliate-WGRZ.
“Not only were people talking but then I made an announcement and some people were just incredibly shocked,” he said.
“It’s just not only a younger couple like that, but so ingrained and influential in this community.”
Read the full story:
Tributes pour in for couple killed in fiery crash on Rainbow Bridge
Rainbow Bridge explosion: Border guards turn cars away from US crossing
, Maroosha Muzaffar
ICYMI: Two dead in car explosion that closed US-Canada border bridge
, Graeme Massie
New York’s governor says that there is “no sign of terrorism” in the violent vehicle explosion that left two people dead and injured a border guard at the Rainbow Bridge crossing between the United States and Canada in New York near Niagara Falls.
Governor Kathy Hochul told reporters on Wednesday afternoon that there was no evidence of any terror planning and that an investigation would continue to look into what happened.
“This vehicle basically incinerated, there is nothing left but the engine. it is going to take a long time for our federal law enforcement partners to piece together the real story,” she told a press conference and said no threats had been made against the region. “The pieces are scattered over 13, 14 booths so it is a large scene.
“Based on what we know at this moment there is no sign of terrorist activity. This is a local individual. It’s a Western New York resident who was most likely in that vicinity prior to the high speed, high rate of speed, extraordinarily high rate of speed that led to the crash into the median that sent the vehicle airborne.”
She added: “We need to dial down the temperature, all is well, we are still investigating but based on the preliminary investigation there is no sign of terrorism in this horrific explosion.”
The couple, who have not been identified but are said to live in western New York, were travelling in their speeding Bentley when the car rammed into the crossing, law enforcement sources told CNN.
The sources said that the couple were planning to cross the border to go to a KISS concert in Toronto that night. But, the concert was cancelled earlier in the day due to frontman Paul Stanley being taken ill with flu.
The pair instead headed to a casino not far from the border, CNN reported – with the crash then unfolding when the couple left the casino in their Bentley.
Surveillance footage captured the vehicle driving at high speed and exploding as it crashed near a security checkpoint at the Rainbow Bridge crossing on Wednesday morning.
The car became airborne during the incident and crashed into a cement pillar. A suitcase was found near the vehicle but did not contain any explosives, officials told The New York Times.
Bystanders describe seeing ‘ball of fire’ at border crossing crash
, Ariana Baio
Thick smoke, flames and a singed security booth could be seen in photos and videos taken by bystanders and posted on social media. Videos showed that the fire was in a US Customs and Border Protection area just east of the main vehicle checkpoint.
Speaking to WGRZ-TV, witness Mike Guenther said he saw a vehicle speeding toward 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 30 or 40 feet high,” Mr Guenther told the station. “I never saw anything like it.”
CCTV captures car travelling at speed moments before explosion
, Maroosha Muzaffar
CCTV footage shows the moment a car travels at speed while approaching the Rainbow Bridge border crossing in Niagara Falls.
The surveillance footage released by US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shows a white car speeding towards the bridge connecting the US and Canada on Wednesday, 22 November.
In the video, the car hits a ramp and is airborne, before causing an explosion, which isn’t captured in the footage.
It is confirmed the explosion killed two people who were inside the vehicle.
Rainbow Bridge: CCTV captures car travelling at speed moments before explosion
Misinformation about Rainbow Bridge explosion circulates social media
, Ariana Baio
In the minutes after a car exploded on Rainbow Bridge on the border of New York and Ontario, Canada, on Wednesday, reports emerged that a bomb caused the explosion leading to concerns of a terrorist attack.
Several right-leaning news outlets, including Fox News, sounded the alarm of the potential threat.
However, shortly after officials in the FBI confirmed that “no explosive materials and no terrorism nexus” were identified at the scene. Rather, the car carrying two passengers was travelling at high speeds, crashed, caught fire and then exploded.
But on social media, misinformation about the explosion continued to circulate into Thursday because some posts remained up with no updated information, including one from Texas Senator Ted Cruz.
FBI ends investigation of car wreck at Niagara Falls bridge, no indication of terrorism
The FBI has ended its investigation of a fiery car wreck that killed two people at a border checkpoint in Niagara Falls after finding no evidence that it was a terror attack, easing a tense period of high tensions as Americans headed into the Thanksgiving holiday.
The FBI’s decision late Wednesday came several hours after the vehicle raced through an intersection, hit a median and was launched through the air before slamming into a line of booths and exploding at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls. Local police are now handling the case as a traffic investigation.
“A search of the scene revealed no explosive materials, and no terrorism nexus was identified,” the FBI’s Buffalo office said in a statement. “The matter has been turned over to the Niagara Falls Police Department as a traffic investigation.”
FBI ends investigation of car wreck at Niagara Falls bridge, no indication of terrorism
- AP
Who are the victims?
, Ariana Baio
Two individuals were killed when their car crashed into a curb at the Rainbow Bridge and exploded.
Preliminary reports indicate the people inside the vehicle were a man and woman from western New York though their identification is pending results and notification of next of kin.
Investigators said the man in the car was believed to be attending a KISS concert in Ontario but had to make a change in plans after it was cancelled.
The driver is thought to have briefly stopped by the Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino – located less than a mile from the bridge. The Seneca Nation, which owns and operates the resort and casino, said they were cooperating with police in providing information.
It is unclear if the two people inside the vehicle were married but reports indicate they were a “couple.”
New York governor says ‘Footage of crash will make your jaw drop’
, Ariana Baio
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said footage she had seen of the incident at the US-Canada border crossing was “rather extraordinary”.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Ms Hochul said that watching the footage of the vehicle, which was travelling at a “high rate of speed” would make “your jaw drop in disbelief”.
Speaking about the driver, she told reporters the individual “was most likely in that vicinity prior to the high speed [an] extraordinarily high rate of speed that led to the crash that sent the vehicle airborne.”
She added: “When you see this video, your jaw will drop in disbelief at how this went so high over an eight-foot-high fence. It’s rather extraordinary.”
Investigation will ‘take some time’
, Ariana Baio
After a car exploded at the Rainbow Bridge was determined to be unrelated to a terrorism attack, the Niagara Falls Police Department will take over as lead investigators but said it may take a while before a conclusion is drawn.
In a statement released on Thursday morning, the police department said they would be investigating the incident but that people should not expect any conclusions soon.
“Due to the complexity of the incident, the investigation will take some time to complete,” the Niagara Falls Police Department wrote.
They said they are awaiting positive identification of the victims involved in the crash and to notify their next of kin before releasing any names.
A New York couple, fiery car crash and Thanksgiving travel chaos: What we know about Rainbow Bridge explosion
, Maroosha Muzaffar
Two people died after a vehicle exploded at a US-Canada border crossing at Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, on Wednesday 22 November.
The car was attempting to enter Canada from the United States when it sped toward a checkpoint, crashed into a fence and erupted “into a fireball” just before midday, according to witnesses.
Video footage and photos showed flames and thick black smoke billowing from the checkpoint, and a security booth that had been charred by flames.
The blast killed two, reportedly injured one Border Patrol officer and led to the closure of four border crossings between the US and Canada in New York state.
Within hours, investigators had ruled out that the car had been carrying explosives or was connected to terrorism.
Read the full piece by Bevan Hurley here:
What we know about the deadly Rainbow Bridge explosion
New York couple killed in Rainbow Bridge explosion ‘planned to go to Kiss concert’
, Maroosha Muzaffar
A deadly crash at a border crossing between the US and Canada is believed to have involved a New York couple who had planned to attend a Kiss concert in Toronto on Wednesday night.
Law enforcement sources told CNN that the couple, who have not been identified but were said to have lived in western New York, were speeding in their Bentley when the car rammed into the Rainbow Bridge crossing, killing them both.
The blast sparked fears of a terrorist attack and prompted Canadian and US officials to briefly close all border bridges between the two nations and ground planes at nearby Buffalo Airport.
Hours later, the FBI Buffalo office and New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that there were no signs that the incident was terror-related.
Instead, the investigation so far indicates that the couple were planning to cross the border to go to a Kiss concert in Toronto that night. But the concert was cancelled earlier in the day due to frontman Paul Stanley becoming ill with the flu.
Read the full story here:
New York couple killed in Rainbow Bridge explosion ‘planned to go to Kiss concert’
Customs and Border Patrol release video of vehicle airbound
, Ariana Baio
Bystanders describe seeing ‘ball of fire’ at border crossing crash
, Ariana Baio
Thick smoke, flames and a singed security booth could be seen in photos and video taken by bystanders and posted on social media. Videos showed that the fire was in a US Customs and Border Protection area just east of the main vehicle checkpoint.
Speaking to WGRZ-TV, witness Mike Guenther said he saw a vehicle speeding toward 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 30 or 40 feet high,” Mr Guenther told the station. “I never saw anything like it.”
Watch: Car explodes in CCTV at US-Canada border crossing
, Ariana Baio
Casino where car stopped before crash cooperating with police
, Ariana Baio
A vehicle involved in the explosion at Rainbow Bridge on Wednesday stopped at Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino just moments beforehand, the Seneca Nation said in a statement provided to The Independent.
Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino is a gaming facility and resort located less than a mile from the Rainbow Bridge which connects the US to Canada.
The Seneca Nation, which owns and operates the casino, said a vehicle stopped at its location “only for a matter of minutes shortly before the crash occurred”. They did not confirm if the vehicle was the one that crashed and exploded.
After reviewing information regarding the vehicle, the Seneca Nation said it provided it to law enforcement in their investigation into the explosion that killed two people.
“We are cooperating with law enforcement in their investigation into the incident that occurred near the Rainbow Bridge. We have reviewed and provided information related to a vehicle that stopped at Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino only for a matter of minutes shortly before the crash occurred,” the Seneca Nation said.
New York couple killed in Rainbow Bridge explosion ‘planned to go to Kiss concert’
Thursday 23 November , Ariana Baio
A deadly crash at a border crossing between the US and Canada is believed to have involved a New York man and his wife who had planned to attend a Kiss concert in Toronto on Wednesday night.
Law enforcement sources told CNN that the couple, who have not been identified but were said to have lived in western New York, was travelling at speed in their Bentley when the car rammed into the Rainbow Bridge crossing, killing them both.
The blast sparked fears of a terrorist attack and prompted Canadian and US officials to briefly close all border bridges between the two nations and ground planes at nearby Buffalo Airport.
Rachel Sharp reports:
New York couple killed in Rainbow Bridge explosion ‘planned to go to Kiss concert’
Investigation will ‘take some time’
Thursday 23 November , Ariana Baio
After a car exploded at the Rainbow Bridge was determined to be unrelated to a terrorism attack, the Niagara Falls Police Department will take over as lead investigators but said it may take a while before a conclusion is drawn.
In a statement released on Thursday morning, the police department said they would be investigating the incident but that people should not expect any conclusions soon.
“Due to the complexity of the incident, the investigation will take some time to complete,” the Niagara Falls Police Department wrote.
They said they are awaiting positive identification of the victims involved in the crash and to notify their next of kin before releasing any names.
In Photos: The car explosion at Rainbow Bridge
Thursday 23 November , Ariana Baio
Who are the victims?
Thursday 23 November , Ariana Baio
Two individuals were killed when their car crashed into a curb at the Rainbow Bridge and exploded.
Preliminary reports indicate the people inside the vehicle were a man and women from western New York though their identification are pending results and notification of next of kin.
Investigators said the man in the car was believed to be attending a KISS concert in Ontario but had to make a change in plans after it was cancelled.
The driver is thought to have briefly stopped by the Seneca Niagara Resort and Casino – located less than a miles from the bridge. The Seneca Nation, which owns and operates the resort and casino, said they were cooperating with police in providing information.
It is unclear if the two people inside the vehicle were married but reports indicate they were a “couple.”
Rainbow Bridge could open as soon as today
Thursday 23 November , Ariana Baio
Rainbow Bridge could reopen as soon as Thursday afternoon, Ken Bieger the general manager of the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission hinted at to the Niagara Falls Review.
After a vehicle sped toward the US-Canada border crossing bridge on Wednesday and exploded, the bridge has remained closed as investigators search the area and engineers ensure the stability.
But Mr Bieger said that as soon as the bridge is given the all-clear it can reopen, which could be as soon as Thursday.
“We’re having our engineers do a walk-through and check out the integrity of the facility that was damaged or where the car hit,” Mr Bieger told Niagara Falls Review.
“I walked it this morning myself, too, and we’re assuming that the structure integrity is ok So if that’s the case, sometime today, we’re expecting it to reopen,” he added.
The vehicle hit the customs area near a canopy area on Wednesday when it exploded. Mr Bieger said engineers were checking poles and the building near the location of the crash to make sure it was sturdy.
But he said people could “anticipate… positive news” later today.
Jim Diodati, the mayor of Niagara Falls, Canada, also shared the article on X.
Right-wing figures slammed for rushing to brand Niagara blast a terrorist attack
Thursday 23 November , Ariana Baio
Right-wing figures have been slammed for rushing to brand a deadly Niagra Falls car explosion that killed two people in a terrorist attack.
A New York husband and wife, who have not been identified, were killed on Wednesday when their car crashed at a border crossing between the US and Canada, leading to an explosion.
The couple, who reportedly lived in western New York, were on their way to a KISS concert in Toronto but supposedly took a detour to a casino after the gig was cancelled.
Their car was travelling at high speeds when it exploded at the Rainbow Bridge.
The blast initially sparked fears of a terrorist attack and prompted Canadian and New York officials to briefly shutter all bridges between the two countries and ground planes at nearby Buffalo Airport.
A Fox News report cited “high-level police sources” who linked terrorism to the crash and believed the two people travelling in the car packed it “full of explosives,” a claim the network later retracted.
Martha McHardy reports:
Right-wing figures slammed for rushing to brand Niagara blast a terrorist attack
Customs Border Patrol agent injured and released from hospital
Thursday 23 November , Ariana Baio
The deadly car crash that occurred on Wednesday at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls resulted in two deaths and one minor injury.
The person injured in the crash was a Customs Border and Patrol (CBP) agent who suffered minor injuries and was released from Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center later that afternoon.
Timeline in Rainbow Bridge explosion
Thursday 23 November , Ariana Baio
Wednesday 22 November
Approximately am: A Bentley crashes into a curb at Rainbow Bridge, launches through the air and explodes, killing two people inside and injuring one outside of the vehicle.
am: Niagara Falls Police Department arrives at the scene.
am: Rainbow Bridge closed.
Approximately pm: New York Governor Kathy Hochul briefed on the situation.
Approximately 1pm: FBI in the Buffalo field office opens an investigation.
pm: Injured person released from hospital.
Approximately 5pm: Ms Hochul confirms the incident was not related to terrorism. Other US-Canada bridges reopen.
Approximately pm: FBI Buffalo close their investigation and hand it over to Niagara Falls Police Department
Thursday 23 November
9 am: Niagara Falls PD says an investigation may take some time and is awaiting the victims’ positive identification.
Watch: Surveillance footage shows car speeding moments before explosion
Thursday 23 November , Ariana Baio
Rainbow Bridge explosion not linked to terroism
Thursday 23 November , Ariana Baio
The car that exploded at Rainbow Bridge on the border of the US and Canada is not related to a terrorism attack, the FBI in Buffalo and New York Governor Kathy Hochul said on Wednesday.
Preliminary reporting of the indecent floated the idea that the car carrying two passengers may have had explosives on it and intended to erupt into flames at the border.
However, a federal investigation conducted by the FBI field office in Buffalo said the vehicle was driving at high speeds, crashed, launched through the air and then exploded in a random event.
“A search of the scene revealed no explosive materials, and no terrorism nexus was identified. The matter has been turned over to the Niagara Falls Police Department as a traffic investigation,” the statement from the FBI Buffalo said.
It is unclear what exactly caused the driver of the vehicle to drive at high speeds resulting in the crash.
Canadian MP criticised for calling crash a ‘terrorism attack’
Thursday 23 November , Ariana Baio
A member of the Canadian Parliament is facing backlash from his colleagues after prematurely calling the crash at the Rainbow Bridge a “terrorsim attack” in the House of Commons on Wednesday.
Pierre Poilievre, the leader of the Conservative Party of Canada, used the car accident to ask the Speaker of the House of Commons what Prime Minister Justin Trudeau would do to ensure safety of Canadian citizens.
However, US officials determined hours after the attack that the incident was not terrorism-related.
Now other MPs are calling Mr Poilievre “highly irresponsible” and “dangerous” for making his remarks.
“He literally just says whatever he wants on the record in the House of Commons while refusing to get briefed by the government. Straight from Trump’s MAGA playbook,” Adam van Koeverden wrote on X.
But when asked a press conference on Thursday, if he thought it was “responsible” to declare the incident a terrorist attack even before US officials had, Mr Poilievre turned the tables on media outlets.
“Where you are wrong is that CTV reported that the government of Canada was presuming that the incident was terrorist and that’s what I said in my remarks,” Mr Poilievre said.
What is Rainbow Bridge?
Thursday 23 November , Ariana Baio
The Niagara Falls International Rainbow Bridge, more commonly referred to as Rainbow Bridge, is a bridge that connects the US to Canada via New York.
Located in Niagara Falls, the 1,foot arch-style bridge was built in and opened in November
It is one of four bridges that connect the US to Canada near Niagara Falls.
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