On Saturday night, a powerful blast has shaken the neighborhood of Chelsea in Manhattan. At least 29 people were severely injured. The explosion came from a "homemade pressure cooker bomb" planted on West 23rd street at around 8:30PM.
According to the New York Times, City Mayor Bill de Blasio acknowledged the explosion as "an intentional act," which has no direct connection to terrorism and any terrorist group. Hours later after the incident, on early Sunday, another bombing device was discovered in a nearby area.
We believe this was an intentional act. As of now, no connection to an earlier incident in NJ. - @BilldeBlasio
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) September 18, 2016
As of now there are 29 injuries, one considered serious. — NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) September 18, 2016
The authorities, lead by the New York Police District, seized a second explosive device on West 27th Street of what seems to be another pressure cooker, reports BBC News. The NYPD calmed and assured the public, through their Twitter account, that the second device was already "safely removed."
UPDATE: The suspicious device on West 27 Street in Chelsea has been safely removed by the NYPD Bomb Squad. — NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) September 18, 2016
After the unfortunate incident, the police decided to close parts of Manhattan from the 14th to 32nd Streets for further safety measures. The mayor sadly stated that although there were significant injuries as a result of the bombing, thankfully, they weren't life-threatening.
Meanwhile, as US President Barack Obama was already informed the incident, the two controversial presidential candidates' campaigns were also knowledged about the explosion. The Republican nominee quickly addressed the issue and assumed that the blast was caused by a bomb even before the authorities confirmed what really caused the explosion. Trump advised the people to be "very tough."
However, when Democratic Party standard bearer Hilary Clinton heard of the news and of his close rival's assumption, she indirectly reminded Trump that it would be wise to know the information first before making the conclusions.
As of this moment, there are no details yet of who was responsible for the explosion nor the reason behind it. Although, rest assured that the Manhattan authorities are making its very best to keep the city safe and on investigating further on the incident.
