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Governor Cuomo Calls NYC Chelsea Explosion ‘Act of Terrorism,’ But Not Internationally Linked

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo addressed the explosion that took place in the Chelsea neighborhood of NYC during a press conference on Sunday, September 18, calling the incident his “worst nightmare.”

“As governor of New York, this is my worst nightmare,” he said with reference to the explosion, which took place at West 23rd Street and Fifth Avenue around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 17. “We were lucky there were no fatalities.”

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As of Sunday morning, 29 people were reported injured from the blast, and an extra 1,000 extra security personnel were deployed to NYC transit hubs, according to the BBC.

The governor told reporters that “a bomb exploding in New York is obviously an act of terrorism,” but was quick to add that there have not yet been any confirmed links to international organizations.

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New York Governor Andrew Cuomo visits the scene of an explosion on West 23rd Street September, 18, 2016 in New York.

Asked about Mayor Bill de Blasio’s statement late Saturday that the explosion had no connection to terrorism, Cuomo clarified, “I believe the mayor was saying there was no connection with international terrorism,” he said. “And I believe that is correct. No one is taking credit. No international groups have put out statements taking credit.”

On Saturday, a second device was found at West 27th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues. Authorities told The Associated Press that the unexploded contraption looked like a pressure cooker with dark wiring coming out of the center or the top with a cellphone attached to it.

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“Whoever placed these bombs — we will find them and they will be brought to justice,” Cuomo said. “We will not allow these type of people and these type of threats to disrupt our life in New York. This is freedom. This is democracy, and we are not going to allow them to take that from us.”

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