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September 19, 2016

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29 hurt as blast rocks Manhattan

Source: Agencies | September 19, 2016, Monday | Print Edition

AN explosion rocked a crowded Manhattan neighborhood and injured 29 people on Saturday night, while a suspicious device discovered blocks away was safely removed early yesterday. Mayor Bill de Blasio ruled out any terror connections but called the blast an “intentional act.”

“Tonight, New York City experienced a very bad incident,” de Blasio said on Saturday. “We have no credible and specific threat at this moment.”

He tried to calm fears by saying the explosion wasn’t related to a pipe bomb explosion in New Jersey earlier in the day that had forced cancellation of a charity run.

“Now, I want to be clear. Whatever the cause, whatever the intention here, New Yorkers will not be intimidated,” the Democratic mayor said. “We are not going to let anyone change who we are or how we go about our lives.”

The explosion happened in Chelsea, a primarily residential neighborhood on Manhattan’s west side known for its art galleries and large gay population.

A law enforcement official told reporters a second device that officers investigated four blocks from the scene appeared to be a pressure cooker attached to wiring and a cellphone. The official said the device was found inside a plastic bag on West 27th Street. A robot was used to remove it.

The official also said the explosion that rocked the bustling Chelsea neighborhood appeared to have come from a construction toolbox in front of a building. Photos from the scene show a twisted and crumpled black metal box.

The blast happened on West 23rd Street, in front of a residence for the blind, near a major thoroughfare with many restaurants and a Trader Joe’s supermarket. Witnesses said the explosion blew out the windows of businesses and scattered debris.

The Fire Department of New York said 29 people were injured, with 24 taken to hospital. One person received a serious puncture wound. The other injuries were described as scrapes and bruises.

New York City subway routes were affected, which rattled some New Yorkers and visitors on the heels of the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.

Chris Gonzalez, visiting from Dallas, was having dinner with friends at a restaurant in the area. “We felt it. We heard it,” he said. “It wasn’t like jolting or anything. Everyone just went quiet.”

Rudy Alcide, a bouncer at the Vanity Nightclub at 21st Street and 6th Avenue, said he at first thought something large had fallen. “It was an extremely loud noise. Everything was shaking, the windows were shaking,” he said. “It was extremely loud, almost like thunder but louder.”

FBI and Homeland Security officials, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arson and explosive task force, were at the scene.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton said the nation needed to support its first responders and “pray for the victims.”

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump declared a “bomb went off” before officials had released details. He made the announcement minutes after stepping off his plane in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

“I must tell you that just before I got off the plane a bomb went off in New York and nobody knows what’s going on,” Trump said.

He continued: “But boy we are living in a time — we better get very tough, folks. We better get very, very tough. It’s a terrible thing that’s going on in our world, in our country and we are going to get tough and smart and vigilant.”

The Manhattan blast came hours after a pipe bomb exploded in Seaside Park, New Jersey, shortly before thousands of runners were due to take part in a charity 5k race to benefit Marines and sailors. The run was canceled. No injuries were reported.

Also on Saturday, at least eight people were hurt at a shopping mall in St Cloud, Minnesota, in a stabbing attack. The suspect was shot dead by an off-duty officer. The police chief said the suspect asked at least one victim if he or she was Muslim.

The investigation into the Manhattan explosion came as world leaders descend on the United Nations for a meeting today to address the refugee crisis and Syria.

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