NEW YORK CITY, Sept. 18, 2016 (Gephardt Daily) — Reports are coming from New York about an explosion Saturday on West 23rd Street in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan.
Early Sunday morning, the number of injured people was listed at 29, up from 27 late Saturday, and it was reported that all 29 had been released from the hospital.
Also on Sunday morning, New York City Police Department announced street closures are in effect in Chelsea, on Sixth Avenue from 14th Street to 27th Street, 23rd Street from Fifth Avenue to Seventh Avenue, and 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th streets from Broadway to Seventh Avenue.
NYPD Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill has stated that the incident is believed to be intentional. Authorities, however, are not linking it to international terrorism at this time.
Many people in the area have been sharing images on social media of the response by police and fire crews to the blast, which happened at about 8:30 p.m. (Eastern Time). Some social media users said the explosion was heard as far away as Hoboken, New Jersey, across the Hudson River from Chelsea.
In prepared remarks late Saturday night, NYPD Police Commissioner James P. O’Neill stated:
“At around 8:30 p.m. this evening, officers from the 10th Precinct were on routine patrol, driving westbound on 23rd Street, when they witnessed a large explosion in front of 131 West 23rd Street. The officers immediately called for additional units and ambulances.
“The NYPD Bomb Squad and the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force were requested to respond. As of this time, the exact cause of this explosion has not been determined. Investigation into this incident is active at this time and an extensive search is being conducted. The area around the explosion site is being treated as a crime scene.
“As of this time, there is no evidence to indicate that this explosion is a result of any natural gas cause. Again, the exact nature and cause of this explosion has not yet been determined. As of the most recent information, there have been 27 injuries reported. One of these injuries may be considered serious. The Fire Department is currently assessing the extent of any possible structural damage resulting from this explosion.”
At 12:18 a.m. Sunday (Eastern Time), NYPD sent out a message on Twitter: “As a precautionary measure, we are asking all residents who live on West 27th Street between 6th and 7th avenues in Manhattan to stay away from windows facing 27th Street until we clear the area of a suspicious package. This is a precautionary measure only, we are NOT evacuating the area.”
A short while later, NYPD followed up with another tweet, stating: ‘The suspicious device on West 27 Street in Chelsea has been safely removed by the NYPD Bomb Squad.”
CNN reported that, according to multiple local and federal law enforcement officials, the suspicious device appears to be a pressure cooker with wiring coming out of the top center of it.
New York City Councilman Cory Johnson, who represents the area, told 1010 WINS, “This is a very dense area, the whole block is restaurants and residences and this area on a warm Saturday night is an area swarming with people.”
No details about the extent of damage were immediately available. Authorities are emphasizing that their investigation is just beginning and the information they have so far is in no way conclusive.
Reports of the explosion in Chelsea on Saturday evening came hours after a pipe bomb exploded in Seaside Park, New Jersey, on Saturday morning, a short while before thousands of runners took part in a 5K race to benefit Marines and sailors.
Authorities currently are not linking the two incidents.
