By: Kheng-Liang Tan
At least 29 people were injured and one is understood to be in critical condition as an explosion rocked the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan on Saturday evening New York time.
The blast occurred at about 830pm (830am Singapore time) between 6th and 7th Avenue on 23rd Street, a fashionable downtown neighborhood of Chelsea.
The cause of the explosion is unknown at press time.
While CNN reported that law enforcement sources believe an improvised explosive device caused the blast, the New York Counterterrorism Bureau also said that “there is no evidence of a terrorist connection”
The Joint Terrorism Task Force suggests that authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a terror attack while others have suggested that the cause may be an accidental trigger of construction explosives.
The area has since been cordoned off and police have issued a statement saying that motorists should “expect extensive traffic delays” and asking public to avoid the area.