Nashville blast probed as governor seeks emergency declaration
Nashville authorities on Saturday investigated an explosion that ripped through part of the US city on Christmas morning after a chilling bomb warning came as the governor requested an emergency declaration from the White House.
The explosion of a camper at 6:30 (1230 GMT) Friday in the historic downtown Nashville, the capital of country music in the United States, damaged dozens of shops and injured at least three people, streets being largely abandoned that hour.
No deaths have been confirmed, but authorities were examining tissue found at the site of the explosion which they believe may be human remains.
“This morning I visited the site of the bombing,” Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said on Twitter on Saturday.
“The damage is shocking and it’s a miracle no one was killed.”
He asked President Donald Trump to declare a state of emergency, a technical measure that triggers federal aid to repair the damage.
At least 41 businesses were damaged, he said.
“These buildings, many of which are historic, and others will need to be assessed by an engineer for structural integrity and safety,” Lee said in his application.
The camper was parked in front of the company building AT & T phone, causing damage that disrupted telecommunications service in Tennessee and parts of Alabama and Kentucky.
AT & T said Saturday that two sites mobile cells functioned in downtown Nashville and additional portable sites were being deployed to the area to restore service.
Nashville International Airport had temporarily halted flights on Friday due to “telecommunications issues” related to the blast.
Federal and local law enforcement were investigating the explosion and the motive remained unclear.
According to a schedule provided by the governor, police were called to the area to respond to the gunfire at 5:30 a.m., and officers spotted the RV at 6:00 a.m.
Fifteen minutes later, they heard an audio countdown from the vehicle warning of a bomb and the need to evacuate, followed by the explosion at 6:30 a.m.
Police have not determined if anyone was inside the RV at the time.
Nashville police spokesman Don Aaron said “we believe the explosion was an intentional act,” but added that it was unclear if the AT&T building was the target.
Police posted a photo of the motorhome on Twitter before it exploded and asked the public for information about it.
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