Two persons were killed in a “vehicle explosion” at the US-Canada border crossing. The incident took place near Niagara Falls on Wednesday, CBS News reported citing sources.

New York: At least two people were killed in a ‘vehicle explosion’ that occurred at the US-Canada border crossing near Niagara Falls on Wednesday afternoon, as reported by CBS News, citing sources. The area has been cordoned off, and the border crossing has been closed. According to law enforcement officials cited by CBS News, the individuals who died were inside the vehicle that exploded. However, the nationalities of the deceased persons are not yet known, officials said. The vehicle came from the US side, hit the customs station, and started burning. The reason for the explosion is yet to be ascertained, a senior US law enforcement official told CBS News.

A senior administration official described the incident as “more than a freak accident’, but also clarified that right now they don’t have any details regarding the incident.

According to a Canadian visitor to New York, he was walking close by when the explosion took place, and he noticed the car speeding in the direction of the border crossing.

“And he was flying over 100 miles an hour. There was a car in front of him, he swerved out, went in front of the car, hit the fence, went flying up into the air … and we saw the fireball, and that’s all we could see, there was just smoke everywhere,” he said, according to CBS News.

Meanwhile, the FBI Buffalo Field Office issued a statement and stated, “The FBI Buffalo Field Office is investigating a vehicle explosion at the Rainbow Bridge, a border crossing between the US and Canada in Niagara Falls. The FBI is coordinating with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners in this investigation. As this situation is very fluid, that’s all we can say at this time,” the department shared the statement on X (formerly Twitter).

The Rainbow Bridge, connecting Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, and Niagara Falls, New York, is a popular tourist attraction. In addition to the Rainbow Bridge, other border crossings in the area include the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, and the Peace Bridge.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul stated in a statement that the New York State Police is investigation the matter with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force to monitor all points of entry to New York.

Hochul added that she stated that as of now, she is on her way to Buffalo to “meet with law enforcement and emergency responders,” and take stock of the situation.

The Rainbow Bridge crossing connecting the US and Canada near Niagara Falls has been shut as the federal authorities in Buffalo, New York, have said that an investigation is underway.