NEW YORK (AA) – Authorities have not found any links to international terrorism following a bomb explosion that injured 29 people in New York City, Gov. Andrew Cuomo told reporters early Sunday.
“At this time there is no evidence of an international terrorism connection with this incident, but it’s very, very early in the investigation,” Cuomo said.
The 8.30 p.m. Saturday explosion at 131 West 23rd Street in the Chelsea neighborhood caused “significant damage” to both sides of the street, Cuomo said, adding the fact that there are no deaths was “something to give thanks for … because when you see the damage, we were really lucky”.
The cause appears to be a pressure cooker device, similar to the one used in the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013 that killed three people and injured hundreds.
Officers found another one, which did not detonate, four blocks away on the 27th Street, treated as a second site. Cuomo said both devices were “similar in design”.
He said all injured, including one case considered serious, have been released from the hospital.
“We will find whoever did this or whatever group did this and they will be brought to justice, period,” the governor said. “We will not allow these type of people and these type of threats to disrupt our life in New York.”
An additional 1,000 New York State Police officers and National Guard troops will be deployed to patrol bus terminals, airports and subway stations.
The deployment is “just to err on the side of caution,” according to Cuomo. “I want New Yorkers to be confident when they go back to work on Monday that New York is up and running and we’re doing everything that we need to do.”
The governor added that New York and New Jersey were cooperating and sharing resources after the Chelsea blast and a pipe bomb explosion in Seaside Park, New Jersey, earlier Saturday, which forced the cancellation of a charity run to benefit the Marines and Navy.
That blast, in which Cuomo said a different type of explosive was used, caused no casualties.
