New York explosion: All 29 injured released from the hospital after bombing

Authorities promised to beef up security across the city

(Getty Images)

An "intentional" explosion that injured 29 people in a busy Manhattan neighborhood was an act of terrorism but there are no connections to international terrorist groups, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo told reporters on Sunday morning.

The explosion was set off in Chelsea on Saturday night, in the neighbourhood primarily known for its art galleries and nightlife, heavily populated by residents and tourists. Just hours later, authorities found what they determined to be a second homemade bomb. They compared the pressure cooker to the device that was used in the deadly Boston Marathon bombings in 2013, one unnamed official told The New York Times.

"We really were very lucky that there were no fatalities at the time," Governor Cuomo said at the scene, adding that all 29 people who were injured have been released from the hospital. Many of the injuries were caused by shrapnel from the explosion. Witnesses said the impact came from inside a dumpster near the Avenue of Americas.

A top law enforcement official suggested the two explosives found in Manhattan were linked as they were both built with a cellular phone used as a timer, Christmas lights to initiate the explosive, and were filled with metal bearings similar to BBs. He said the ingredients suggested the bomb was more sophisticated than those typically found in the states.

“Most of what we in the United States is a pipe bomb with black powder or smokeless powder or a simple hobby fuse,” the expert, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told The Times. “This would be the high-end of sophistication for IEDs in the United States.

Now, more than 1,000 additional state police officers and national guard officials will patrol the city's bus and subway stations after the blast on Saturday night, Cuomo announced at Sunday’s press conference. He encouraged New Yorkers to go about their business as normal and reassured them that the city is once again safe.

"We're not going to let them win," Mr Cuomo said at the scene. "We're not going to let them instill fear.”

The powerful bang was reported hours after an explosion let out in Seaside Park, New Jersey. Officials said a charity race—the Seaside Semper Five event for members of the US Marine Corps— was scheduled to pass through but thanks to an unexpected delay, no one was injured.

Mr Cuomo said that he believes both incidents are unrelated and that he was coordinating resources with New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. “As governor of New York, this is my worst nightmare.“

“It was the biggest blast I ever would imagine, lights flashing, glass shattering,” one woman who was injured told The Times. She said the blast was so powerful that she was thrown into the air.

“It happened so fast I was thrown up and landed down, I didn’t know where it had come from,” she told the outlet as she left Bellevue Hospital Center at 4am local time. “I realized there was blood streaming down my face, and I couldn’t see out of my eye.”

Governor Christie made an appearance on CNN on Sunday morning calling the attacks were definitely a form of terrorism. "You can call them whatever you want, they are terrorism, though," he said on State of the Union. "There's no doubt about that. They're terrorism. Now, who's responsible and what the motive was is something else that, hopefully, we're going to find out in the days ahead."

Both Republican and Democratic nominees addressed the explosion late Saturday night.

Donald Trump described the explosion as a bomb before authorities made any public clarifications. “I must tell you that just before I got off the plane, a bomb went off in New York and nobody knows exactly what’s going on,” he told supporters in Colorado Springs. “But boy, we are living in a time. We better get very tough, folks.”

His rival Hillary Clinton scolded Mr Trump after his comments. “I think it’s always wiser to wait until you have information before making conclusions,” she said.