‘Explosion’ at NJ Train Station Where Suspicious Device Found

A backpack with five bombs discovered near a train station in Elizabeth, New Jersey, exploded late Sunday night as a police bomb-squad robot triggered a blast while attempting to defuse one of the devices, increasing already-heightened fears of further attacks in the New York area. Police investigating a suspicious package near the station said they found the bag inside a garbage can at the North Jersey transportation hub. There were no reports of injuries, as the area had already been on lockdown while police investigated multiple devices found in a backpack. The panic came just one day after a pipe bomb went off at a Marine charity run at the Jersey Shore. Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage said the suspicious package was found at North Broad Street and Julian Place at around 8:30 p.m. The bomb squad was immediately called in and surrounding areas cordoned off, as a drone was used to inspect the package. According to Bollwage, “The drone indicated it could be suspicious and it could be a live bomb.” The two men who found the suspicious package reportedly saw wires and a pipe inside it, according to local media. The FBI declined to provide details on the incident. New Jersey Transit and Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor trains in the area were halted, but began to resume service around dawn.