US-Canada Border at Niagra Falls Reopens after Car Blast, But Probe Still On – News18

The US-Canada border crossing at Niagara Falls that was the scene of a deadly car explosion reopened Thursday, officials said. This resumption comes a day after a car traveling at high speed crashed into a checkpoint barrier at Rainbow Bridge and exploded into flames.

This incident triggered border closures and sparked a security alert on the eve of a major holiday. The regional FBI field office concluded the blast, which occurred about 640 kilometers northwest of New York City, was not linked to terrorism.

“Normal operations have now resumed for traveler traffic at the Niagara Falls Rainbow Bridge port of entry, which recently experienced a service disruption,” the Canada Border Services Agency said. The incident came on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday, one of the busiest US travel days, when millions of Americans take to the roads and skies.

Rainbow Bridge — among the most heavily trafficked crossings between Canada and the United States — has 16 vehicle lanes and is normally open around the clock. New York Governor Kathy Hochul said that debris was spread across as many as 14 of the lanes following the incident.

On Thursday, US police said they were still investigating a fiery crash on the bridge linking New York state and Ontario, Canada that sparked a security scare prompting closure of four U.S.-Canadian border crossings on Wednesday.

The Niagara Falls Police Department’s Crash Management Unit has taken over investigation of the incident, which was determined by U.S. federal agencies, including the FBI, not to have been a terrorist event.

“Due to the complexity of the incident, the investigation will take some time to complete,” Niagara Falls Police Department Superintendent John Faso said in a statement. “At this time the identity of those involved is pending positive identification and notification to next of kin.”

(With agency inputs)