5th LD Writethru: No evidence of terror attack, cause of blast under investigation: New York City mayor

New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio said Saturday that there is "no evidence at this point of a terror connection" to an explosion

in New York Saturday evening, in which twenty-nine people were injured.

The mayor made the remarks at a news conference Saturday night, saying the real cause of the explosion is still under investigation.

Authorities said police are investigating the blast as a criminal act not immediately linked to any terror organization.

Twenty-nine people were injured in the explosion in the Chelsea neighborhood in New York on Saturday evening.

The incident occurred just three days before the opening of 71st Session of the UN General Assembly in the UN Headquarters in New York. The host city of the world body is already on high alert to guarantee the security of visiting heads of state or government.

Right opposite to the UN Headquarters on Manhattan's 1st Avenue, four police officers on duty told Xinhua that they have been in position since 4 p.m. Saturday. But they said that they didn't get any special alert or instructions following the Chelsea blast.

Apir Chaudhury, a sales associate working on a night shift at a 7-11 convenience store on 5th avenue, said that he didn't hear the explosion, but around 9 p.m., police closed up the roads and started to check everything. The young man looked undisturbed by the incident at all, saying "Now I just wanna go home and sleep".

After living in this city for six years, you don't get scared by such things", a female cashier in the store added.

Officer Bressack with the NYPD's Strategic Response Group told Xinhua that he and his colleagues were called in for duty shortly after the blast occurred, and rushed all the way from Queensboro to the scene.

There could be all kinds of causes for the explosion, and people have to wait for the investigation results. "I have seen so many of this, and I can only say this was not the first and won't be the last," said the police veteran who had served for 22 years.

New York City Police Department issued an updated statement, saying "As a precautionary measure, we are asking residents who live on West 27th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues in Manhattan to stay away from windows facing 27th Street until we clear the area of a suspicious package. This is a precautionary measure only, we are not evacuating the area".

White House said President Obama has been briefed about New York blast.

Police issued a bulletin advising motorists in the area that they should "expect extensive traffic delays and emergency personnel in the area of 23rd Street and 7th Avenue" and asking the public to avoid entering the area. Endit