VIDEO Powerful explosion in New York's Manhattan, large number of injured

A powerful explosion rocked New York's Manhattan on Saturday evening, and several people were injured in the incident, the New York police announced without stating the cause of the explosion. 

CNN reports that there are no indications this was a terrorist attack, reports the Patria news agency.

-The explosion occurred around 8:30 p.m. (local time) on 23rd Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan, police spokesman Peter Donald announced on Twitter, adding that "several injured were taken to nearby hospitals." 

The explosion occurred just hours after a bomb exploded in a trash can in New Jersey, leading to the cancellation of a charity race for American veterans. The local district attorney's office in that city announced on Facebook that there were no injuries and no damage was caused.

The New York Fire Department also announced that an explosion occurred in the Chelsea area of Manhattan with multiple injuries. At least three people were taken away by ambulances.

Representatives of the New York Police Department (NYPD), the Fire Department, and other city agencies were not available for any more detailed information or comments, Reuters reports.

The New York Fire Department stated on Twitter that twenty-five civilians were injured in the explosion, but none of them were in life-threatening condition.

The explosion, described as "deafening," occurred in front of a building housing an association for the blind, at 135 West 23rd Street, where blind individuals reside, undergo training, and receive other necessary services.

Hundreds of people were seen leaving that part of the city, and police cordoned off the area. The New York police issued instructions advising drivers to expect major delays in the wider area and asked citizens to avoid this area.