Times Square Bomb Scare

An alleged bomb in Times Square led to the evacuation of all our tourists and customers at almost all the Broadway shows and area restaurants. There was no explosion.“It appears to be a car bomb left in a Pathfinder between Seventh and Eighth,” said Deputy Commissioner Paul J. Browne, the Police Department’s chief spokesman.The device, he said, contained “explosive elements” that included “propane tanks, some kind of powder, gasoline and a timing device.”“This is very much an active investigation,” Browne said.The device was discovered by a mounted police officer who saw a box with smoke pouring from it in the back of the Pathfinder, Mr. Browne said. The officer called for backup, and the Fire Department and bomb squad.The Pathfinder’s back window was broken out, Mr. Browne said, and the police sent in a “robotic device” to “observe it.” Police began evacuating packed Times Square, where everyone was enjoying a hot Saturday night in the Big Apple.The license plates on the Nissan were registered to a Ford, the police said. A New York City firefighter told Reuters, he arrived early on the scene and said that the vehicle was smoking and that he saw “a flash” from the back of the it. “We put two and two together” and the evacuation was ordered, he said.