Tense New Yorkers in lower Manhattan heard police sirens blare through the night as the NYPD investigated an explosion that occurred about 8:30 Saturday night in front of 131 West 23rd Street near 6th Avenue. The blast injured 29 people, one seriously.
Shattered windows and flying debris sent people on the street scrambling. A local police patrol responded immediately and the bomb squad followed. Police say they found the device in a toolbox in a dumpster. A short while later, a police search found a pressure cooker attached to wiring and a cellphone in a plastic bag on West 27th Street. The NYPD bomb squad removed the unexploded device using a robot
Mayor Bill de Blasio said the blast was “an intentional act.” But he said there was no known terrorist connection. The FBI Joint Terrorist Task Force and the NYPD continue to investigate.
Saturday, a pipe bomb exploded near the site of a military charity run in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. No injuries occurred because rain delayed the race.
On Twitter, the NYPD asks for anyone who might have seen something or anyone who has information to call the tip line, 800-577-TIPS (8477).
As of about 10 o’clock Sunday morning, the injured from the blast were treated and released from the hospital.
The investigation continues to affect traffic. Police closed off crosstown streets from 14th to 32nd streets as they continue search for evidence or individuals involved.
Questions continue about whether terrorists set the bombs. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo called it an “act of terrorism,” but apparently not “international terrorism.”
