"Tonight New York City experienced a very serious incident," de Blasio said at a news conference near the scene in Chelsea. "I want to say more broadly, there is no specific and credible threat against New York City at this point in time from any terror organization."
Investigation is ongoing. Though we believe this was an intentional act, there is no credible terror threat against NYC at this moment.
— Bill de Blasio (@BilldeBlasio) 18 сентября 2016 г.
NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill, Fire Commissioner Dan Nigro and FBI Assistant Director Bill Sweeney were present at the scene along with de Blasio.
Mayor @BilldeBlasio on the scene and about to update public re: earlier explosion tonight on 23rd and 6th. pic.twitter.com/XWL7kYpNh5
— NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) 18 сентября 2016 г.
Location of the blast
At approximately 8:30 p.m. (00:40 GMT) an improvised explosive device (IED) went off in front of 131 West 23rd Street in Chelsea, a neighborhood in New York City. Various reports have said that the explosion took place at 133 W 23rd Street or 135 W 23rd Street.
The explosion is said to have taken place in a dumpster.
Traffic alert regarding the explosion in Chelsea, Manhattan pic.twitter.com/IiqpPjWz1t
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) 18 сентября 2016 г.
NYPD officers from the 10th Precinct saw the incident while on routine patrol.
The site of the blast is being treated as a crime scene. The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
Cause of the blast
NYPD Police Commissioner James P. O'Neill said that the exact cause and the nature of the explosion have not been determined.
CCTV footage from #Chelsea explosion. https://t.co/qwktnFH2rs
— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) 18 сентября 2016 г.
The NYPD Bomb Squad and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force were requested at the scene, fueling concerns that officials have not ruled our terrorism as a possible cause of the blast. Mayor de Blasio said that there was "no evidence at this point of a terror connection."
Other suspicious devices
Investigators found a second device that appeared to be a pressure cooker attached to wiring and a cellphone wrapped in a plastic bag on West 27th Street. It has been taken to a firing range in the Bronx.
UPDATE: The suspicious device on West 27 Street in Chelsea has been safely removed by the NYPD Bomb Squad.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) 18 сентября 2016 г.
In addition, local police are said to have found a third explosive device two blocks away from 23rd street.
VIDEO #NYPD bomb disposal transporting 2nd bomb in containment unit #ChelseaExplosion #Chelsea #ManhattanExplosion pic.twitter.com/oeMDmaQC8b
— raging.me (@raging545) 18 сентября 2016 г.
Casualties
The explosion left 29 people injured, the NYPD reported. Twenty-four people were taken to the hospital with minor injuries, including scrapes and bruises. However, one person received a puncture wound that was considered serious.
As of now there are 29 injuries, one considered serious.
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) 18 сентября 2016 г.
Reaction
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump was one of the first to comment on the explosion in Chelsea. "I must tell you that just before I got off the plane a bomb went off in New York and nobody knows what's going on," he said at approximately 9:10 p.m.
"But boy we are living in a time… We better get very tough, folks. We better get very, very tough. It's a terrible thing that's going on in our world, in our country and we are going to get tough and smart and vigilant," he said.
Democratic hopeful Hillary Clinton said that the US needs to support its first responders and "pray for the victims," adding that "we have to let this investigation unfold."
