An explosion in a crowded Manhattan neighborhood has left 29 people injured, with authorities saying a second nearby site is also being investigated.
Mayor Bill de Blasio has called the blast an “intentional act,” but said there was no terrorist connection.
“Tonight, New York City experienced a very bad incident,” de Blasio said at a news conference near the scene in Chelsea. “We have no credible and specific threat at this moment. ”
De Blasio described the blast was “an intentional act” but insisted there was no terrorist connection and the explosion wasn’t related to a pipe bomb explosion earlier in the day in New Jersey at a charity run.
A second device is being investigated by officers were four blocks from the scene, which appears to be a pressure cooker attached to wiring and a cellphone. The device was reported to have been found inside a plastic bag on West 27th Street.
New York officials have said the incident was not due to a gas leak
Early reports said there had been 29 injuries in the New York City incident, none reported to be life-threatening.