Skip to main content
United States

Times Square bombing foiled

New York police have prevented ‘‘a very deadly event’’ by dismantling a car bomb in Times Square, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Sunday. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the device was meant to cause “a significant amount of fire”.

Reuters
Advertising

Bomb squad officers discovered tanks filled with propane gas, fireworks and timing devices loaded into the back of a sports utility vehicle with tinted windows after being alerted by a T-shirt vendor on Saturday evening.

Bloomberg said that the bomb was homemade and “looked amateurish” but “certainly could have exploded”.

The device consisted of three propane tanks, consumer-grade fireworks, two gasoline containers, wires and two clocks, according to Kelly.

New York state Governor David Paterson called the attempt an “act of terrorism”.

"Luckily, no one is hurt, and now the full attention of city, state and federal law enforcement will be turned to bringing the guilty party to justice in this act of terrorism," he said in
a statement.

Times Square remained under police lockdown for several hours after the incident.

President Barack Obama has been briefed on the incident and congratulated the police for their “quick action”, the White House said.

New York police have been on alert since the September 2001 attacks which claimed 3,000 lives. In February Afghan immigrant Najibullah Zazi pleaded guilty to plotting to let off bombs on the city’s underground railway.
 

Daily newsletterReceive essential international news every morning

Keep up to date with international news by downloading the RFI app

Share :
Page not found

The content you requested does not exist or is not available anymore.