WASHINGTON – A huge blast tore through a section of downtown Nashville yesterday, after police responding to reports of gunfire discovered a parked motorhome reportedly blaring a warning that it was carrying a bomb.
The explosion shattered windows and ripped apart trees, but appeared calculated to spare lives, injuring just three people as it detonated at 6.30am (1230 GMT) in a section of the southern United States city that was largely deserted due the early hour and the Christmas holiday.
The blast left as many as 20 buildings, including storefronts, badly damaged and the road surface charred – scattering glass, tree branches and bricks in an area filled with businesses, restaurants and bars.
In a dramatic sequence of events that shattered the Christmas-morning calm, police responded to calls that gunshots had been fired, and noticed the vehicle as they arrived on the scene.
A recorded message playing from the motorhome warned that a bomb would detonate within 15 minutes – enough time for a bomb squad to clear the area before the explosion, police chief John Drake and spokesman Don Aaron told reporters.
Witnesses told the Tennessean newspaper that the warning, spoken in a woman’s voice, counted down to the blast.
“Evacuate now. There is a bomb. A bomb is in this vehicle and will explode,” one recalled the chilling recording as saying.
Pictures shared on social media from the immediate aftermath showed thick plumes of black smoke rising from the burning motorhome, and storefronts torn apart.
The blast happened near an AT&T facility, and the telecommunications company told journalists: “Service for some customers in Nashville and the surrounding areas may be affected by damage to our facilities from the explosion this morning.”
Nashville International Airport announced that it has temporarily halted flights due to “telecommunications issues” associated with the blast.
The Tennessean reported that police are conducting door-to-door checks.
The blast knocked an officer to the ground, it said, and gave another hearing loss.
Both President Donald Trump and president-elect Joe Biden have been briefed on the incident, which is being investigated by the FBI and US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Agents offered no possible motive immediately, and made no link to any domestic terrorism plot. It is also not immediately clear if anyone was in the motorhome when it exploded.
“This appears to have been an intentional act. Law enforcement is closing downtown streets as investigation continues,” tweeted Nashville’s metro police.
Firefighters said at least three people were taken to hospital with minor injuries, according to local media.
The blast was large enough to be felt several kilometres away.
The damage is “limited, but it is dramatic”, said Nashville Mayor John Cooper, adding that the city is “lucky” that the blast occurred on Christmas, when few people were downtown.
“It’s unfortunate, but any other morning, I think, it would have been a much worse story.”
Police said several people have been moved to a local station for questioning, although no arrests or details of suspects were announced.
Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn led messages of concern from multiple public figures, saying she is “praying for all those involved”, and thanked the “brave first responders for keeping us safe”.
Biden issued a statement saying he and his wife, Jill, “thank all the first responders working today in response to the incident, and wish those who were injured a speedy recovery”.
Trump’s spokesman, Judd Deere, tweeted that the president is “grateful for the incredible first responders and praying for those who were injured”. – AFP, December 26, 2020
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