UK offices in New York bombed

2005-05-05 11:30

An image from television shows the scene outside the British Consulate in Manhattan, New York, where two small explosions shattered glass in windows. (ABC via APTN/AP)

Washington - Two small explosions shattered windows outside a building that houses the British consulate in New York City in the early hours of Thursday, but there were no injuries or structural damage, CNN said.

The blasts, which a witness described as "two loud bangs", came as Britain was holding general elections. They occurred at 03:35 and police were investigating, CNN said.

A police spokesperson said the explosions took place in front of the building, which CNN said is 21 storeys high, and that it shattered a few windows in the building as well as the windows of a vehicle parked nearby.

In London a foreign office spokesperson said: "We're aware of the reports. We're currently investigating."

The police spokesperson said the blast caused no casualties, but he could not say whether occupants of the building had been evacuated after the blast.

"We have our bomb squad units at the location," the spokesperson said, adding that it would take some time to determine the cause of the blast.

- AFP