The bustling neighborhood of Chelsea in Manhattan witnessed a devastating explosion that injured at least 29 people. Authorities believe that the explosion, which occurred on Saturday, September 17, 2016, was caused by a homemade bomb. A few hours later, however, a second explosive device was found and removed, also within four blocks of West 23rd street. This raised security concerns in New York City as two bombs were found right in the heart of the city.
According to New York Times reports, New York City mayor, Bill de Blaiso called the explosion “an intentional act” after initially stating that there was no connection to terrorism as no immediate responsibility was claimed.
The second device that the police found was similar to the pressure cooker used during the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013. It is yet to be found out if there is a link, ideological or otherwise, between the two bombings. Authorities do not yet know if the first bomb that detonated on September 17, 2016 operated under the same mechanism.
In the subsequent aftermath of the blast on Saturday, the police completely shut down areas of Manhattan south of Midtown. Also, the traffic between Fifth and Eighth Avenues had forced all activities from 14th Street to 32nd Street to come to a grinding halt. Despite the initial terror and trepidation in the immediate reverberation of the blast, only 23rd Street remained closed after 7:00 a.m. the next day.
Images of a twisted dumpster in the middle of West 23rd started to flood twitter within hours following the blast. Several witnesses were of the opinion that the explosion first started in the dumpster. According to CNN and the New York Times, Blasio was quoted as saying at a news conference at around 11:15 pm the same day, that “injuries are significant.” He further stated that for the moment, none of them were “life-threatening.”
Most of the damage was due to the shrapnel from the explosion. The impact shattered windows and sent cars swirling on the roads. Based on reports by local newspapers in New York and law enforcement officials, the blast reverberated throughout the block, smashing windows in multi storey Brownstone buildings.
Since the bombing on September 17, 2016 the investigations have proceeded with the latest development being that the manhunt for Ahmad Khan Rahami, the suspect in the Manhattan bombings, has come to an end. Law enforcement officials are now turning their attention to the motive behind the attack, which was, to put it in crude words, a blast in a dumpster on a random street in Manhattan, New York.
Trudging on with the campaign, Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Drumpf bit back no words as they contested each other on how to best combat terrorism and reinforce advanced security measures.
By September 20, 2016 more details of the investigation developed and were trickling into the public domain. Based on reports by the New York Times, the 28-year-old suspect’s bail was set at $5.2million. Ahmad Khan Rahami was arrested on September 19, 2016 and was charged with seven counts. There is still speculation in the media and the general public as to whether he has maintained a lawyer.
