The explosion was heard around 8:30 p.m. on 23rd Street in Manhattan's busy Chelsea neighborhood. None of the injuries are life-threatening, fire officials said.
At least 29 people were injured Saturday evening in an "intentional" explosion that seems to have come from inside a dumpster in Manhattan's busy Chelsea neighborhood, while another suspicious device four blocks away was removed for further investigation, officials said.
None of the injuries appear to be life-threatening. One person was considered in serious condition.
There was no evidence that the explosion was a terrorist act, but Mayor Bill de Blasio said during a press conference the blast was "an intentional act." De Blasio said terrorism was not likely because there were no current credible threats against the city.
"Whatever the cause, whatever the intention here, New Yorkers will not be intimidated," de Blasio said. Natural gas has been ruled out.
The explosion occurred near 23rd Street and Sixth Avenue at 8:30 p.m, police said. The NYPD's Counterterrorisim Unit also responded to the scene and, in a tweet, confirmed the explosion originated from a large metal garbage can that was mangled after the loud bang.
Authorities, however, would not confirm what caused the explosion.
Police said a second device was located in the nearby area, on 27th Street between Sixth and Seventh avenues. The NYPD asked people inside buildings to stay away from the windows. Loudspeakers in hotel rooms told guests, "take cover. This is not a drill," and to stay away from windows.
Several media outlets, including the New York Times and NY1, cited anonymous officials or sources saying the device is a pressure cooker.
The device was removed by an NYPD bomb squad by about 2:15 a.m. and will be taken for further analysis, officials said.
BuzzFeed News has videos of a bomb robot investigating the suspicious device:
The robot is now moving across 27th St now back toward the police unit on 7th Av #Chelsea #ChelseaExplosion
Close up of the robot, it's been parked in front of a mailbox on 27th st for about 10 minutes #Chelsea #NewYorkCity
After the explosion, witnesses described a loud, strong bang in 23rd Street that shook buildings in the area and blew out windows. One nearby resident told BuzzFeed News he could smell the smoke when he walked out of his apartment just seconds after the blast.
Corey Johnson, a New York City councilman for the affected neighborhood, said the "explosion was extraordinarily loud, people could hear it blocks and blocks away, avenues away." He added,"I would assume it was a very sizable and significant explosion."
"I heard this tremendous, huge, strong explosion and thought, 'What was that?'" Danilo Gabrielli, 50, a fashion designer.
William Edwards / AFP / Getty Images
Gabrielli said he lives a block from where the explosion took place, but his entire building shook from the blast. Seconds after he heard the boom, his windows were still vibrating from the blast.
"I was scared," he said. "I was worried, and I am still worried that somebody died."
Gabrielli said he ran outside and could smell smoke and what seemed like metal in the air when he walked out into the street to find out what happened.
"It was definitely smoking, there was something in the air," he said.
Five minutes later, there was a helicopter above him and the street became filled with cops who began to cordoned off the area and push him and others back, he said.
Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images
Several witnesses told NY1 that the area had been recently undergoing construction.
Ben Brooks, a Chelsea resident for nine years, told NY1 he was eating at a restaurant when the explosion happened.
"It sounded like an incredibly loud thunderbolt," he said, "people from the back of the kitchen came rushing up."
"Cops and firefighters were coming the other way down" the avenue, incidating the wrong way. "It shook the ground as if it were a loud explosion."
"I hoped it was a construction" he said, "it's unexpected and it has me shaken about what's going on."
President Obama has been briefed on the situation and will receive updates, the White House said. FBI, ATF, and Homeland Security agents have responded to the area, Johnson and officials said. Nearby subway lines have been rerouted or are skipping stations.
Video posted from people in the area also showed what appeared to be FBI agents searching the area with flashlights.
FBI on scene #manhattan #explosion #chelsea
Officials were searching for other possible devices, Johnson said.
People near the area reported hearing the loud explosion, some saying they heard the loud bang blocks away from its source.
Alexa, who was heading to a club, Bounce, with friends when the explosion happened, told BuzzFeed News she saw "police cars, saw fire trucks. Just when we got out of the car. "It looked like a cloud but it was coming from the building."
Danielle, her friend, said, "there was smoke in the air."
I have not idea of what just happened . A huge explosion next to my building in #Chelsea #nyc #manhattan #explosion
The loud bang was reported hours after an explosion occured in seaside park, New Jersey, where a charity race was expected to pass through.
Because of an unexpected delay, however, officials said there were no people near the explosion of a trash can and no injuries were reported. New York City officials said they don't think the explosions were related.
Hillary Clinton was informed of the explosions and asked her staff for updates.
"I've been briefed about the bombings in New York and New Jersey and the attack in Minnesota," Clinton said Saturday night. "We have to let this investigation unfold. We've been in touch with various officials, including the mayor's office in New York, to learn what they are discovering as they conduct this investigation, and I'll have more to say about it when we actually know some facts."
Donald Trump, at a rally, told the crowd a "bomb went off in New York" though it is unclear what caused explosion.
New York officials said they are currently investigating the blast and no one had been taken into custody as of late Saturday night.
post by ify
Tag; Buzzfeed