Authorities have ruled out terrorism in the Rainbow Bridge car bomb that killed two passengers on Wednesday on the highway between New York State and Ontario near Niagara Falls.
The event sparked a security panic, forcing the closure of four US-Canadian border crossings.
Hours later, federal and state police stated they had uncovered no evidence of terrorism, while the circumstances surrounding the Rainbow Bridge crash remained unclear, leaving it unclear if it was accidental or deliberate.
"At this time, there is no indication of a terrorist attack" or a public danger, New York Governor Kathy Hochul told reporters Wednesday evening. At a separate press conference, federal and local law enforcement officers reiterated her remarks.
The FBI said in a statement that it had completed its investigation. "A search of the scene revealed no explosive materials, and no terrorism nexus was identified," the FBI wrote on X, previously known as Twitter.
The automobile was going from the US side at great speed when it hit an item and flew into the air before falling to the ground and erupting in flames, according to video captured on surveillance cameras and put on X by the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) department.
The driver and a passenger were killed in the crash, while a CBP officer was injured slightly. He was later treated at a hospital and released, according to an agency official.
The disaster occurred during a period of increased security worries throughout the world as a result of the Middle East conflict, as well as the peak of US holiday travel on the eve of Thanksgiving festivities.
As a precaution, the Rainbow Bridge, as well as the other three border crossings along the Niagara River between western New York and the Canadian province of Ontario—the Peace Bridge, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, and the Whirlpool Bridge—were closed for several hours.
Other international crossings remained open with "heightened alert status," according to the governor.
Officials said security was increased at other airports and trains administered by the Niagara-Frontier Transit Authority, as well as at different places around New York City.