Possible human remains found at site of Nashville explosion, police chief says
Investigators have found “tissue” which could be human remains at the site of the explosion of a motorhome in Nashville, police chief has said. Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake said the remains will be examined to establish whether they are human remains, but he could not say whether they came from inside the motorhome or not. He told a news conference: “We have found tissue that we believe could be remains and we will have that examined and we will be able to let you know from that point.” Authorities do not know whether anyone was in the vehicle when it exploded.
The explosion of a motorhome shook the largely deserted streets of central Nashville early on Christmas morning. The blast shattered windows, damaged buildings and wounded three people.
Metro Nashville Police Department spokesman Don Aaron said three people were taken to hospital for treatment, although none were in a critical condition and were in a stable condition on Friday evening.
Authorities said they believed the blast was intentional, but they do not yet know a motive or target. Mr Drake said police were responding to a report of shots fired when they encountered a vehicle blaring a recording that said a potential bomb was to detonate in 15 minutes. Police evacuated nearby buildings and called in the bomb squad. “Shortly after that, the vehicle exploded,” Mr Drake said.
Surveillance video published on a Twitter account Friday that appeared to be recorded from across the street captured an audio recording that included the warning: “If you can hear this message, evacuate now.” The blast was captured on the surveillance video seconds later.
The Federal Aviation Administration later temporarily halted flights out of Nashville International Airport due to telecommunications issues associated with the explosion. Mayor John Cooper said at a news conference: “This morning’s attack on our community was intended to create chaos and fear in this season of peace and hope. “But Nashvillians have proven time and time again that the spirit of our city cannot be broken.”
The FBI will be taking the lead in the investigation, said spokesman Joel Siskovic. Federal investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were also on the scene. The blast sent black smoke and flames billowing from the heart of downtown Nashville’s tourist scene, which is packed with bars, restaurants and other retail establishments and is known as the heart of central Nashville’s tourist scene. Buildings shook in the immediate area and beyond after a loud boom was heard.
Police dogs continued to search cars and buildings in the nearby area. A man staying in a nearby hotel said that when he heard the blast, he knew it was not a harmless noise. “It was a very loud explosion,” said Joseph Fafara. “We tried to rationalise it that it was an earthquake or something. But it was obvious it wasn’t an earthquake.”