A law enforcement official says two people have been found dead in a vehicle that exploded at a checkpoint on the American side of a U.S.-Canada bridge in Niagara Falls in western New York.
The explosion happened Wednesday on the U.S. side of the Rainbow International Bridge, which connects the two countries across the Niagara River.
The Associated Press reported that the bridge and three others between western New York and Ontario were quickly closed as a precaution, and the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport began security checks on all cars and told passengers to expect additional screenings.
The other three bridges that were closed are the Lewiston, Whirlpool and Peace Bridge. AP reports that the Rainbow Bridge was built in 1941.
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About 6,000 vehicles cross the Rainbow Bridge each day, according to the U.S. Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory. About 5% is truck traffic, according to the federal data.
The bridge is just over 1,440 feet (439 meters) long and has a main span constructed of steel, according to the data.
-Compiled from staff and news services
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