No international terror link in NY blast, governor says

Andrew Cuomo says ‘it’s very early in the investigation’ into explosion that injured 29 people in city’s Chelsea neighborhood

NEW YORK — There is no evidence that international terrorism is behind the bomb that exploded in New York wounding 29 people and a second explosive device planted nearby, the state’s governor said Sunday.

“Whoever placed these bombs, we will find and they will be brought to justice,” Andrew Cuomo told reporters the morning after the explosion, which he said caused significant damage.

“At this time there is no evidence of an international terrorism connection,” he added. “But it is very early in the investigation and it’s just starting.”

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio earlier indicated the blast was not accidental, even if there was no known link to terrorism.

“We believe it was intentional. As soon as we’re able to determine what specifically caused this explosion, we will report it,” de Blasio said.

James O’Neill, who only took over as New York police chief on Saturday after his predecessor’s resignation, described the Manhattan explosion as “large” and said it happened outside 131 West 23rd Street at 8:30pm.

He added that the building has not been evacuated and that an “extensive search” was being conducted.

Police and firefighters work near the scene of an explosion in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, in New York, September 17, 2016. (AP/Andres Kudacki) — Police and firefighters work near the scene of an explosion in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, in New York, September 17, 2016. (AP/Andres Kudacki)

The blast occurred in Chelsea — an area packed with bars, restaurants and luxury apartment blocks — at a typically bustling time of the weekend.

Police investigated 27th Street for a secondary device as public officials scrambled to reassure the city’s 8.4 million residents.

That device — described by US media as resembling a pressure cooker — was “safely removed by the NYPD for further analysis” early Sunday, tweeted police spokesman J. Peter Donald.

The explosion came two days before world leaders led by President Barack Obama were due to gather in New York for the UN General Assembly, a time when parts of Manhattan grind to a standstill under draconian security measures.

A fire truck is seen near a blocked off road near the site of an alleged bomb explosion on West 23rd Street on September 17, 2016, in New York. (AFP/ Bryan R. Smith)

“There is no evidence at this point of a terror connection to this incident, this is preliminary information,” de Blasio told a late-night news conference.

“There is no specific and credible threat against New York City at this point in time, from any terror organization,” he added.

AFP reporters saw a massive police presence at the crime scene, where they were joined by FBI and counter-terrorism squads, as police helicopters circled overhead and sirens wailed.

Obama was “appraised” of the explosion and would receive updates on the situation as they become available, a White House official said.

Of the 29 people who sustained injuries, 24 were taken to hospital with various degrees of scrapes and abrasions from glass and metal, said Fire Department commissioner Daniel Nigro.