At least 29 people were injured in an explosion Saturday night in the high-end Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, law enforcement officials reported.
Authorities did not immediately know the cause of the explosion, which authorities said occurred around 8:30 p.m. ET. No fatalities were reported and none of the injuries initially appeared to be life-threatening. By Sunday morning, authorities said that all of those injured had been treated and released from the hospital.
“There is no specific and credible threat against New York City at this time from any terror organization,” NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio said in a televised speech later Saturday night. “This is preliminary information — it is something we will be investigating very carefully — but there is no evidence at this point of a terror connection.”
De Blasio did describe the blast as an “intentional act.”
At a televised news conference on Sunday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said, “We really were very lucky that there were no fatalities.”
The explosion occurred on West 23rd Street between 6th and 7th avenues, in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City.
The explosion was initially reported by law enforcement as originating in a dumpster outside a 14-story residential home for the blind which has been under renovation. The New York Post reported that windows on lower floors of the building were blown out by the blast.
Nearby buildings were also evacuated.
“It was deafening,” one witness told the Post. Residents living several blocks away also reported hearing a very loud explosion.
“This is exactly the kind of blast you would have inside a dumpster,” Jim Cavanaugh, retired ATF Special Agent, told MSNBC. “What you get is this cannon effect because it’s an all-metal container.”
Earlier on Saturday, a pipe bomb exploded in New Jersey near a race for charity being held by the Marine Corps. That incident left no injuries but was under investigation by the FBI.
“I also want to affirm that based on what we know at this hour, there is no specific connection to the incident in New Jersey,” De Blasio said Saturday night.
25 injuries to civilians confirmed at 133 W 23 St #Chelsea. None appear to be life-threatening at this time
— FDNY (@FDNY) September 18, 2016
Officials are on the scene of an explosion on West 23 St in Manhattan at least 26 people injured. An unknown device was inside a dumpster.
— SBA (@SBANYPD_Archive) September 18, 2016
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