E-Paper
Explosion rocks downtown Nashville on Christmas morning: What we know so far
Nashville mayor John Cooper and the local police department have called the explosion an “intentional act” with the mayor describing the incident as a “deliberate bomb set off in the community” as per initial evidence.
A recreational vehicle parked in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, exploded during the early morning hours of Christmas injuring people and causing damage to buildings nearby. A recorded message warning about the explosion kept coming out of the vehicle following which the explosion occurred, in which three people were injured, according to a report by news agency Reuters.
Nashville mayor John Cooper and the local police department have called the explosion an “intentional act” with the mayor describing the incident as a “deliberate bomb set off in the community” as per initial evidence.
Here is what we know so far about the early morning explosion on Christmas day:
1. The recreational vehicle that exploded was an old white motor home that was parked in the neighbourhood. Metro Nashville Police department have tweeted the image of the vehicle, which arrived at 1:22am in the area, and have called upon people with information to come forward and report.
2. Three people have been injured so far and are currently stable. Police officials have not found the motive behind the blasts and there have been no claims of responsibility yet, according to a Reuters report.
3. A surveillance video used by CNN showed a recorded voice saying “if you hear this message, evacuate now” kept emanating from the vehicle, moments before it exploded.
4. John Drake, chief of the Metro Nashville Police department, said that investigators have detected human tissue near the blast site, which would be examined further, according to a CNN report.
5. The explosion took place outside an AT&T building and the company has reported “widespread disruptions of telephone, internet and fibre optic TV service in central Tennessee and parts of several neighbouring states, including Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia” according to Reuters.
6. Six police officers were identified to have immediately jumped into action, helping residents to evacuate, after hearing the recording from the vehicle, according to CNN. They have been praised by the mayor and the police chief.
7. Nashville mayor Cooper also announced a state of civil emergency on areas surrounding the blast site. A curfew has also been imposed until Sunday for response and relief efforts.
