Explosion on Rainbow Bridge to the U.S. shuts all crossings in Niagara Falls, Ontario

Mississauga | Niagara Falls | Ontario | Crime | Latest News | Police |

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Published November 22, 2023 at 1:57 pm

An explosion on the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls has shut down all border crossings in the area. (Photo: Via Kyle Taylor)

A vehicle explosion early Wednesday afternoon on the Niagara Falls Rainbow Bridge has shut down all traffic on that route into and out of the U.S. in addition to the three other border crossings in the Niagara area.

The incident was reported shortly before 1 p.m. It involved a vehicle leaving Canada and reportedly blowing up on the American side of the bridge.

Details were at first sparse as reports trickled in with some believing it may have been a car fire.

However, the Buffalo office of the FBI confirmed a short time later the incident was, in fact, an explosion and that it occurred on the U.S. side of the popular bridge connecting the two countries.

The FBI is working with state and local agencies to investigate the incident, which is also being looked into by authorities in Canada.

“As this situation is very fluid, that’s all we can say at this time,” the FBI said.

Video shared by online outlet Kyle Taylor shows a blaze spreading across the tarmac under the border crossing. Another clip shows first responders rushing to the scene through a smoke-filled landscape.

“Our provincial law enforcement is actively engaged in assessing the situation. They are working with local law enforcement and are providing support as required,” said Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

After the explosion, the OPP confirmed they were also closing down all other border crossings including the Fort Erie Peace Bridge, the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge and Hwy. 405. “You can expect heavy delays in the Niagara area,” said Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, “If you are planning on crossing the border, please delay travel until those highways and closures have reopened.”

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said, “At my direction, New York State Police is actively working with the Joint Terrorism Task Force to monitor all points of entry to New York. I am travelling to Buffalo to meet with law enforcement & emergency responders & will update New Yorkers when more information becomes available.”

Niagara Regional Police said, “Out of an abundance of caution, the border bridges in Niagara are all closed at this time due to an incident in the United States. We are monitoring the developments. There is no known threat on the Canadian side.”

Today is one of the busiest days for travel between the United States and Canada with American Thanksgiving tomorrow. There are no reports of injures at the moment.

As of 5 p.m., Sgt. Kerry Schmidt said, “the Canada and US border crossings are reopening.  The Fort Erie and Peace Bridge are reopen to motorists. The traffic on the QEW is beginning to flow.”

Highway 405 is in the process of opening along with  the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge and Whirlpool Bridge.

The Rainbow Bridge will remain closed until further notice.

 

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