New York Gov. Kathy Hochul revealed late Wednesday during a news conference that the deadly explosion that took place at the Rainbow Bridge at the US-Canada border had "no indication" of being connected to a terrorist attack.
The governor detailed that "nothing" but the engine of the vehicle managed to survive the explosion, underscoring that it would "take a long time" to fully grasp exactly what happened. Hochul added that no explosive devices had been found at the scene, shutting down earlier misreporting on the matter.
"There is no evidence at this time that there was terrorist activity," Hochul reiterated to reporters before noting the importance of needing to "dial down the temperature" in the aftermath of the explosion.
It was further confirmed that the two individuals who were inside the vehicle were deceased, and that one border patrol official who was inside the checkpoint booth had sustained injuries. That official has since been released from the hospital following treatment.
Hochul went on to note that while officials could not yet confirm the origin of the vehicle, "there is suspicion that the vehicle may have originated" in the vicinity of an area casino.
The bridge will remain closed until further notice as the investigation into the explosion remains ongoing; however, the three additional border crossings between the US and Canada have since been reopened. The cause of the explosion remains unclear.
Earlier media reports citing insider sources stated the vehicle stopped at an initial security checkpoint but ultimately exploded after crashing into a barrier in a secondary screening location. The vehicle was traveling from the US toward the checkpoint into Canada.
Video footage released by the US Customs and Border Protection Agency captured the vehicle driving at an excessively high speed before crashing into a barrier. Hochul had described watching video of the incident as "surreal."
One individual who witnessed the incident told media it appeared as though the vehicle was traveling "over 100 miles an hour."
Early on in the investigation, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau relayed to the public that officials were "taking this extraordinarily seriously," and that "additional measures are being contemplated and activated at all border crossings across the country."
The FBI previously described the situation as "very fluid" and noted it was working in coordination with local authorities.