Rainbow Bridge explosion: New details about couple killed in fiery crash

The Buffalo branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation concluded its investigation on Wednesday evening following a car explosion at Rainbow Bridge on the border of the US and Canada.

As of now, investigators believe two individuals travelling in a vehicle at high speeds, crashed at the bridge, sending the car into a fiery explosion.

The Niagara Falls Police Department will take over the investigation from here.

Ahead of the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, New York City will implement “enhanced security” around the city to ensure citizens and visitors safety, Mayor Eric Adams said on Wednesday evening.

In a brief press conference, Mr Adams said that while officials “don’t see any nexus between the incident [at Rainbow Bridge] and here in New York City” they would be upping security measures anyway.

The car that exploded at the Canada-New York border was determined to be an accident.

He added that the New York Police Department was monitoring the situation at the New York border and had been in communication with partners across all agencies involved.

Doug Ford, the Premier of Ontario, said in a statement posted to X on Wednesday that he was made aware of the situation at the Rainbow Bridge and said law enforcement would be working together to investigate it.

“I’ve been made aware of the situation unfolding on the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls. Our provincial law enforcement is actively engaged in assessing the situation. They are working with local law enforcement and are providing support as required,” Mr Ford wrote. 

Though the crash occurred on the US side of the bridge that connects the two countries, due to its proximity to the border, Canadian law enforcement will likely be involved in assisting the investigation.

At this time it is unclear what caused the driver of the exploded vehicle to approach the border at high speeds.

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

Investigations are ongoing following a fiery explosion that occurred on the Rainbow Bridge US-Canada border crossing, near to Niagara Falls, on Wednesday.

The vehicle had been travelling towards the border from the US side.

Authorities said that two people, the occupants of the vehicle involved in the incident, had died in the explosion, but that their identities and any possible motive were unknown.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul told a press conference on Wednesday that the driver of the vehcle was a resident of western New York.

Two people are dead following an explosion at the US-Canada border near to Niagra Falls.

While authorities have played down initial fears of a terrorist attack, the reason for the crash remains unclear.

Bevan Hurley takes a look at what we know so far:

In Wednesday night’s press conference, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she would not go so far as to declare the blast an “accident” just yet as the probe continues.

But, she said that the two people killed were local residents and that there was no evidence of terrorism at this time.

“I want to be very, very clear to Americans and New Yorkers, at this time there is no indication of a terrorist attack,” she said.

“No indication based on online threats or anyone taking credit for this – at this time. It’s still unfolding. But I didn’t want to leave the public with any uncertainty.”

She added: “Based on what is happening in the world, everyone is on edge. This is an international border. I won’t call it an accident yet. All we know is there was a horrific incident, a crash, a loss of life – but at this time: no known terrorism activity.”

The FBI’s Buffalo division also released a statement saying that no explosives had been found at the scene and that “no terrorism nexus was identified”.

The investigation has since been turned over to the Niagara Falls Police Department as a traffic investigation, the bureau said.