A powerful explosion rocked a bustling neighbourhood in New York injuring 29 people in what the mayor on Sunday described as an “intentional act” as police found a pressure cooker with wires nearby, hours before world leaders arrive here for the UN General Assembly session.
The explosion — which happened shortly after a pipe bomb went off in a garbage can in New Jersey — occurred in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighbourhood, a busy residential and commercial area frequented by tourists and city residents.
The impact damaged windows of nearby buildings and cars and sent crowds running from the scene. The blast seemed to shake the entire block, sending debris into the street. There has been no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast that occurred at 8:30 pm local time yesterday, a busy time of the weekend for over 8 million New Yorkers, who just marked the 15th anniversary of the September 2001 attacks.
Police said they have a surveillance video from the scene, but it was too early to give out details except that the explosion was caused by an explosive device in a dumpster.
They were combing through the video that appears to show a person near the site of the blast, in an attempt to determine if that individual is connected to the blast, CNN reported. Other reports said the second device was a pressure cooker resembling the one used in the deadly Boston Marathon bombings in 2013.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said “injuries are significant” but none is life threatening except one who is in “serious” condition. Many of the injuries were caused by shrapnel from the explosion. He called the blast an “intentional act” but said there was no evidence of a terror link at this point. “We are not going to let anyone change us, intimidate us,” Blasio said.