FBI investigating what happened: Car exploded on bridge between US and Canada, two dead

(Patria) - The FBI is investigating the explosion of a vehicle at the Rainbow Bridge border crossing between the US and Canada near Niagara Falls as an attempted "terrorist attack," US police announced on Wednesday. Two people in the vehicle were killed, and one border patrol officer was injured.

New York State authorities are "closely monitoring" the incident on the bridge, and state agencies are on the scene, said New York Governor Kathy Hochul on platform X on Wednesday.

Local media WIVB reported that all four international border crossings in western New York were closed on Wednesday due to a vehicle incident on the bridge, according to local media. However, this news could not be immediately confirmed.

Police teams in Canada have "actively engaged in assessing the situation," wrote Ontario Premier Doug Ford on X.

The incident occurred on the Rainbow Bridge the day before Thanksgiving in the US, one of the busiest days of the year.

The FBI, New York State Police, US Customs and Border Protection are on the scene and investigating the accident. Federal authorities are trying to obtain several videos showing the incident from multiple angles as witness statements differ.

Mike Guenther from Ontario was walking with his wife near the Rainbow Bridge when he saw a car "speeding."

"It was going over 160 kilometers per hour. We could barely see it, it was going so fast," Guenther told local media.

According to his testimony, the car was speeding towards the border in the direction of Canada, swerving to avoid another vehicle in front of it. The vehicle hit a fence, says Guenther, "and flew into the air".

"Then we saw a fireball. I've never seen anything like it," he says.