Bomb strapped to man goes off in NY subway

NEW YORK: A pipe bomb that was strapped to a man went off in the New York City subway near the Times Square area of Manhattan, injuring the suspect and another person on the platform at the height of the morning rush hour, law enforcement officials said.

Both the suspect and the bystander on the platform was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

Officials spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly about the incident.

The explosion, which happened around 7.30am, triggered a massive emergency response by New York police and fire fighters both above and below ground, tangling subway and bus services at the nearby Port Authority (PATH) bus terminal.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that President Trump was briefed on the explosion.

Video from above the “Crossroads of the World”, a major commercial area, showed lines of police and emergency vehicles, their lights flashing, lining the streets and no other vehicle traffic moving.

Everything around the Port Authority in the 42nd Street area was shut down – a surreal scene of still at what would ordinarily be a bustling rush hour.

New Jersey Transit buses headed to the Port Authority were diverting to other locations following the explosion.

NJ Transit says buses would take passengers to Secaucus and Hoboken.

From there, they could take trains or PATH into the city.

Trains, PATH, light rail and ferries are honoring bus tickets into New York. — AP