NEW YORK, Nov 24 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The US-Canada border gate in the Niagara Falls area, where a car explosion caused casualties, was reopened a day later on Nov 23.
“Normal traveler traffic operations have now resumed at the Rainbow Bridge port of entry in the Niagara Falls region after a period of disruption,” said a statement from Canada Border Services Agency.
On Nov 22, a car moving at high speed crashed into the checkpoint fence at Rainbow Bridge and caught fire.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the car explosion scattered debris across 14 lanes.
A suspected terrorist car explosion occurred at the border gate on the US side, in which 2 people were determined to have died, while 1 injured person is being treated.
The incident forced authorities to declare a border closure about 400 miles (640km) northwest of New York City, and issue a major security alert on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday.
According to subsequent investigation results by New York authorities and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the fire and explosion were not related to terrorism.
The incident happened on the eve of Thanksgiving, one of the busiest travel occasions in the US, when millions of Americans travel.
The Rainbow Bridge – one of the busiest crossings between Canada and the US – has 16 lanes for vehicles and is usually open around the clock. — NNN-AGENCIES
