Powerful explosion injures 29 in Chelsea, second device removed.
By David Klein, Keenan Chen & Rebecca Zissmann
An explosive device went off in a dumpster on 23rd Street near 6th Avenue in Manhattan at around 8:30 pm Saturday, injuring 29 people. One of them is in serious condition.
The device was one of the two found in the area by the NYPD. The second one, which had not yet exploded, was found on 27th Street near 7th Avenue and removed by the bomb squad. It was described as a pressure cooker connected to a cellphone with wires, according to the Associated Press.
In a later press conference, both Mayor Bill de Blasio and NYPD Commissioner James O’Neil called the event an “intentional act.” But while they said the investigation is ongoing, they haven’t found any links to terrorist organizations.
People nearby described they heard loud sound. Niiokai Addoo, who was working nearby at the time, recalled he heard “ a very loud ‘bang.’ We thought it was the construction on the 25th Street.”
“It’s out of nowhere, and it just sounded like an earthquake, a really powerful ‘bang.’ It was like a shock wave,” said Mario Edwards, of the Bronx, who was on 23rd Street near 7th Avenue at the time of the explosion .
Ramon Perez, 48, of East Harlem, was on 24th Street and 6th Avenue when the explosion went off. “It’s a loud, loud explosion. It’s scary,” he said. “The earth was shaking.” He recalled him running to the explosion location and trying to help people, until the police ordered him to leave.
“Blood was all over her throat,” said Perez, who was helping an injured woman to get on an ambulance. He captured the aftermath of the explosion on his phone. (Caution: this video contains graphic content)
Heavy presence of law enforcement was on the scene till past midnight. The NYPD cordoned several blocks in this neighborhood. People waited several hours on the street because of the cordon.
Addoo, who had heard the sound the of the blast while at work, still had to wait for several hours to get to his car which behind the police barriers. He was trying to get to a hospital in Long Island to see his wife, who had just given birth to their daughter the day before.
Erin Balletta, 23, of Long Island, was sitting on the floor in a nearby CVS. Visiting the city with two friends for the weekend, she couldn't get to their hotel, which was inside the police cordon.
But despite the commotion, people were lining up outside of restaurants and night clubs when law enforcement officers were investigating the second explosive device just blocks away.
