1 of 5 devices near train station explodes; no injuries

Published : Sept 19, 2016 - 21:54 Updated : Sept 19, 2016 - 21:56

NEW YORK (AFP) -- A suspicious device found in a trash can near a train station exploded early Monday as a bomb squad was attempting to disarm it with a robot, officials said.

Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage said the FBI was working to disarm one of five devices found in the same bag in a trash can by two men at around 8:30 p.m. Sunday near the Elizabeth train station. The men had reported seeing wires and a pipe coming out of the package, Bollwage said.

Law Enforcement Officers are seen at the scene of an explosion on West 23rd Street September, 18, 2016 in New York. An explosion rocked one of the most fashionable neighborhoods of New York on September 17 night, injuring 29 people, one seriously, a week after America's financial capital marked the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Mayor Bill de Blasio indicated the blast was not accidental, even if there was no known link to terrorism. The blast occurred in Chelsea -- an area packed with bars, restaurants and luxury apartment blocks -- at a typically bustling time of the weekend (AP-Yonhap)

There was no immediate report of injuries or damage. The mayor warned that other explosions were expected.

Armed with a search warrant, FBI agents and police converged on an apartment above a fried chicken restaurant near the train station before 6 a.m. Monday. The apartment is linked to a man wanted for questioning in Saturday night's New York City bombing, which injured 29.

Ahmad Khan Rahami, 28, has lived at that address. He is a naturalized citizen from Afghanistan, the FBI said.

New Jersey Transit service trains resumed service on the Northeast Corridor and North Jersey Coast Line at 5:30 a.m. Monday, but they faced residual delays because service was suspended after the devices were found.

Amtrak was operating on a modified schedule.

Train passengers reported being stuck on Amtrak and NJ Transit trains for hours Sunday night, while some trains moved in reverse to let passengers off at other stations. Amtrak said 2,400 passengers were affected and trains were being brought in to other stations for people to get other transportation.

It wasn't clear when the Elizabeth station would be open, a threat to cause major issues on the Monday morning commute into New York.

The discovery of the suspicious package came a day after the explosion in Manhattan and an unexploded pressure-cooker device was found four blocks away in New York City. Also Saturday, a pipe bomb exploded about an hour from the Elizabeth train station in Seaside Park, New Jersey, forcing the cancellation of a military charity 5K run.

Investigators didn't immediately comment on whether they thought the Elizabeth incident was connected to either of the two blasts.

Bollwage said that he wasn't willing to say that Elizabeth had become a target and that it was possible that someone worried about the authorities was trying to get rid of the package.

"I'm extremely concerned for the residents of the community, but more importantly extremely concerned for everyone in the state and country where someone can just go and drop a backpack into a garbage can that has multiple explosives in it," Bollwage said. "You have to wonder how many people could have been hurt."