Officials are currently on the scene at Manhattan’s extremely busy transportation hub, the Port Authority Bus Terminal, after an explosion was reported around 7:30 a.m. EST, the height of rush hour.
The FDNY initially reported one non-life-threatening injury, and it was confirmed that the injury is the suspect, who is male. The FDNY is now reporting that there have been “a total of 4” non-life-threatening injuries.
NYC Explosion (Twitter)
The suspect is alive and in custody. There have been reports that the suspect was taken to Bellevue Hospital.
ABC reported that the suspect is originally from Bangladesh, “has been in the United States for seven years and has an address in Brooklyn, sources said.”
NYC Explosion (Twitter)
NYPD sources have said it was a pipe bomb explosion in an underground passageway that connects the 7th and 8th Avenue tracks, and that the suspect might have been on his way toward Times Square.
Law enforcement officials told the Associated Press that the suspect was reportedly wearing a pipe bomb that was strapped to him – a suicide vest.
CNN reported:
Preliminary information, according to two law enforcement sources, one local and one federal, indicates a pipe bomb may have unintentionally exploded. The person in custody appears to be injured, according to the federal law enforcement source.
Another New York police source says a man in custody may have set off a device, injuring himself.
NYC explosion (Twitter)
The NYPD put out a statement: “The NYPD is responding to reports of an explosion of unknown origin at 42nd Street and 8th Ave, #Manhattan. The A, C and E line are being evacuated at this time. Info is preliminary, more when available.”
NYPD Statement of Port Authority bus station pipe bomb (Twitter)
Angelica Spanos, a reporter, tweeted: “#BREAKING: An explosion occurred in the 42nd St./Port Authority Bus Terminal. The station has been evacuated and all traffic is being rerouted.”
Angelica Spanos tweet (Twitter)
Leigh Scheps, a producer for Inside Edition, tweeted: “A witness tells me he was in line for coffee at Starbucks in Port Authority when he heard people scream, GET DOWN. There was then a stampede of people running out of the building.”
Angelica Spanos tweet (Twitter)
