Rainbow Bridge Closure: Everything We Know on Border Vehicle Explosion

Two people were killed after a vehicle exploded on the bridge spanning the border between the United States and Canada on Wednesday.

Authorities said that a vehicle exploded this afternoon while crossing the Rainbow Bridge, which acts as a border crossing between the Ontario and New York State sides of Niagara Falls. Two people were found dead in the vehicle on the U.S. side of the crossing. Law enforcement officials said there are no links to terrorism.

Investigators said that the couple had been traveling at a high speed when the vehicle struck a curb at the checkpoint. The car then hit a guardrail that sent it airborne towards a screening area at the crossing, where it exploded. The matter is being investigated by the Niagara Falls Police Department as a traffic probe.

The three other western New York border crossings were shut down out of an abundance of caution, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Services in Erie County.

The incident and closures come one day ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday when travel is expected to be high. The New York State Thruway Authority estimates that an average of more than 8.5 million trips will be taken on the system of highways between the Monday before Thanksgiving and the Monday after the holiday.

The FBI's field office in Buffalo had been investigating the explosion and coordinating with local, state and federal law enforcement partners as part of the probe. By Wednesday night, FBI Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia said the the Joint Terrorism Task Force did not initially find any concerning information and the matter was handed over to local officials.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she has been briefed on the incident and that state agencies are on site and ready to assist.

"At my direction, the New York State Police is actively working with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force to monitor all points of entry to New York," Hochul said in a statement posted to X, formerly Twitter. "I am traveling to Buffalo to meet with law enforcement and emergency responders and will update New Yorkers when more information becomes available."

On Wednesday evening, the governor said, "I want to be very, very clear to Americans and New Yorkers: At this time there is no indication of a terrorist attack." However, she added that a lot of "unanswered questions" remain.

Videos from the scene show heavy law enforcement presence and large flames and smoke coming near a toll booth at the Canadian border.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford said he has also been made aware of the situation and that provincial law enforcement is "actively engaged in assessing the situation."

In response to the incident, Buffalo Niagara International Airport said the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority was increasing security system-wide, meaning that while the airport would remain fully operational, cars going to the airport would undergo security checks. Travelers can expect additional screenings.

Update 11/22/23, 2:28 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.

Update 11/23/23, 8:12 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.