Niagara Falls, Ont., mayor hopes Rainbow Bridge will reopen by sometime Friday after blast killed 2 people

The mayor of Niagara Falls, Ont., expects the Rainbow Bridge to reopen Thursday or Friday after a car crash and explosion Wednesday killed two people on the American side of the Rainbow Bridge.

Jim Diodati, who spoke with the CBC's David Common on Thursday on Metro Morning, said he expected the bridge to reopen to traffic across the border shortly. Diodati also described what it was like in Niagara Falls after the explosion.

"We were on a real emotional roller-coaster all day as details were coming in and they were not all accurate, especially for border towns where there's family and friends on both sides of the border. People live on one side and work on the other … we just thought, you gotta be kidding."

Diodati told CBC Hamilton he was "hoping for today or tomorrow" for the bridge to reopen. "Today is a holiday in the U.S., so that may delay things."

The vehicle explosion occurred around midday Wednesday, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul told a news conference a few hours later. Amid an investigation, the incident prompted a flurry of statements from all levels of governments on both sides of the border. By Wednesday night, the FBI in Buffalo said investigators had found no connections to terrorism.

John Faso, police chief for Niagara Falls, N.Y., told CBC Hamilton on Thursday there's nothing he can share right now about the people in the car who died. "We have not made positive identification nor notification yet."

He said "this is obviously a very, very complex situation. Our crash management unit has been working since late yesterday [Wednesday] afternoon and they're still working on it, and it's going to take quite some time."

Faso said he's not sure when the bridge will open, and that decision will be up to U.S. customs and the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission.

'No sign' of terrorism, New York governor says

Diodati said he "was so relieved" that what happened was not related to terrorism caused by a vehicle entering from Canada, as some U.S. media mistakenly reported.

A U.S. businessman seeking the Republican presidential nomination used the incident, during an appearance on Fox News, to promote an aspect of his platform: Building a border wall with Canada.

"I have been sounding the alarm bell about the northern border for a long time," said Vivek Ramaswamy.

In the House of Commons on Wednesday afternoon, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre cited inaccurate news reports of a "terrorist attack" in a question to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "It is the principal responsibility of the government to protect the people. Can the prime minister give us an update on what he knows and what action plan he will immediately implement to bring home security for our people?"

Trudeau responded that the government was "taking this extraordinarily seriously," but there were "a lot of questions" about the incident.

Hochul said that "based on what we know at this moment, there is no sign of terrorist activity in this crash."

She said an individual from Western New York was "involved" in a "crash," but did not clarify if the person was the driver.

Hochul said a video shows how the vehicle basically "incinerated" and nothing was left but the engine. She said "it's going to take a lot of time for our federal law enforcement partners … to be able to piece together the real story."

Hochul said "we're going to ensure the public is safe before they go back on the Rainbow Bridge."

Shortly after 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Ontario Provincial Police said the Peace, Queenston-Lewiston and Whirlpool Rapids bridges had reopened after their closure for several hours on the eve of the U.S. Thanksgiving.

Diodati, in an interview with CBC Hamilton on Wednesday afternoon, said "when I looked down, as soon as I saw [the] border closed, right away that they hear my back stands up. … When you hear those words, I think back to COVID, I think back to 9/11. And we're very sensitive here. We've got four border crossings, so when they're closed there's a problem."

A spokesperson from Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center confirmed a border patrol agent was treated and released with non-life-threatening injuries from the explosion.

WATCH | Vehicle explosion leaves witnesses rattled:

Car crashes and explodes at Rainbow Bridge border crossing, killing 2

22 hours ago

Duration 2:27

Featured VideoA speeding car launched through the air and crashed in a fiery explosion on the American side of the Rainbow Bridge border crossing between Niagara Falls, Ont., and New York. Both people in the vehicle were killed.

The Rainbow Bridge connects the tourism sectors of Niagara Falls, Ont., and Niagara Falls, N.Y. It has 16 car inspection lanes into the U.S. and 15 into Canada. The Niagara Falls Bridge Commission website, which oversees the bridges, says they see about seven million passages annually.

Jose Ventura Jr. was one of those travellers on Wednesday, visiting Niagara Falls, N.Y., with his family. They had just stopped at a nearby park and were heading toward the Rainbow Bridge when they heard a loud bang and saw thick smoke.

He told CBC Hamilton his 10-year-old daughter was "really scared and screaming out."

Moments later, he said, police began evacuating the area.

"We just had to get out of there," Ventura said. "We were worried something else might occur and for sure didn't feel safe."