| ▲ The Associated Press captures an explosion in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. | |
| Ⓒ AP | |
On Christmas Day in the United States, on the 25th (local time), a car explosion occurred in the middle of downtown Nashville, the state capital of Tennessee.
According to major foreign media such as AP and CNN, the police who were dispatched after receiving a report that a gunshot was heard at 6 am on this day discovered a suspicious point in a parked recreational vehicle (RV).
The vehicle rang a voice message warning “If you hear this message, evacuate now. It will explode shortly in 15 minutes.” The police immediately called the dangerous goods handling team and ordered evacuation by visiting nearby houses.
However, the vehicle exploded around 6:30 while the dangerous goods handling team was on their way to the site. A massive explosion destroyed dozens of buildings and burned trees.
A nearby telecommunications company AT&T’s telephone switching office was also damaged by an explosion, causing telecommunication services in some areas to be suspended for a while, and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) temporarily suspended flights at Nashville International Airport due to telecommunications problems.
In addition, at least three people were injured, such as one policeman fell due to the shock from the explosion and another policeman had hearing damage, but it was reported that life was not affected.
“We didn’t know exactly how many buildings and people were damaged,” said Nashville Mayor John Cooper. “Some residents were forced to evacuate.” He added, “Fortunately, there weren’t many people at the explosion site, so there was little human damage.”
The police officials began investigating the explosion as it was not a simple accident, but that it was likely that someone had caused it on purpose.
It was discovered that it was found to be human remains near the site of the explosion, but whether this is also related to the explosion or whether it is the remains of the perpetrator or victim has yet to be confirmed.
Nashville Police Chief John Drake said, “We haven’t figured out the details of the incident or motive for the crime yet, but it seems to be an intentional act.”
 |
|
| ▲ CNN news capture of a car explosion in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. | |
| ⓒ CNN | |
Buck McCoy, a resident near the site of the explosion, uploaded a video of people screaming and water pouring from the ceiling of the house. Testified.
“I heard a gunfire 15 minutes before the explosion,” he said. “There were fallen trees and broken glass everywhere, and surprised people ran out of the building and ran away.”
Another resident, Joseph Papara, said, “At first I thought it was an earthquake, but when I went outside I found it wasn’t an earthquake.”
White House Deputy Spokesman Jude Deer said President Donald Trump, who is spending Christmas holidays in Florida, has been briefed on the incident and will continue to receive regular updates.
It also added that Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen ordered all the resources of the Ministry of Justice to be made available if it could be helpful in investigating the case.
Local media said that the police authorities have not yet used the word’terrorism’, but that car bombings are rare in the United States, raising tensions.
In 1995, a fanatic in Oklahoma City exploded a truck full of bombs at a federal government building, killing 168 people and injuring 680 others.
– .
