1 May 2010 - Thousandths of tourists and New Yorkers were evacuated after a car bomb was discovered on Times Square. Today, everything is back to normal again and streets, shops and hotels have reopened.
Times Square in New York and Surrounding Streets Closed Off
Somewhere around 6.30 PM on 1 May 2010, a T-shirt seller warned the police about smoke coming out of a dark SUV parked on Times Square in New York. The vehicle had its engine running and hazard lights flashing. Police officers did not hesitate and immediately closed off Times Square, one of the busiest streets of the city. Also several surrounding blocks and subway lines where shut down.
The car was parked on 45th Street and the block was closed between Seventh and Eighth Avenue where a lot of theatres are located. Most Broadway shows were not cancelled, but reopened later than usual, according to spokesman Adrian Bryan-Brown.
Improvised Car Bomb in Times Square New York
Upon investigating the parked SUV police found three propane tanks, petrol, fireworks, electrical wire and batteries. The car bomb in Times Square turned out to be an “improvised explosive” which could have led to a deadly fire. New York’s Mayor Bloomberg declared: “Today is a further reminder of the danger we face.” Both Mayor Bloomberg and US President Barack Obama praised the New York Police Department for their quick intervention. “We are very lucky,” Mr Bloomberg stated. “Thanks to alert New Yorkers and professional police officers, we avoided what could have been a very deadly event.”
The motive for placing the car bomb is currently unknown, but police officials and the FBI are working together in order to find the one responsible for it. The license plate was registered to a man in the state of Connecticut, but there is no connection between him and the Nissan they found on Times Square. The car owner told police officers that he had sent the plates to a junk yard.
Other Recent Terror Alerts in New York
This event leads people to think back about one of the blackest days in New York history: the 2001 attack on the Twin Towers. Times Square is located only a few miles away from Ground Zero where the Twin Towers used to be. Another recent terror alert in New York City involved a plot to set off suicide bombs in the subway system. The two people responsible for that attempt where arrested earlier this year and pleaded guilty. US officials called this recent attempt to blow up the subway was one of the most serious threats to the city since 9/11.
Sources: BBC News, The Independent and VRT News.
Sofie De Cocker - Sofie is an experienced freelance writer and book translator. She writes for small and big companies and she is the editor of the Flemish ...
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