| Advertisement |
Dec. 25 (UPI) -- Local and federal authorities are investigating an explosion in downtown Nashville on Friday they believe was an intentional act. The explosion occurred outside a building on Second Avenue North at about 6:30 a.m. CST, police said.
Advertisement
Nashville police said they were initially called by a report of a shooting in the area. When they arrived, they saw no indication of gunfire but noticed a suspicious RV parked nearby.
As police were calling for a hazardous response team, an explosion went off inside the RV.
No serious injuries were reported and it wasn't immediately known if anyone had been in the recreational vehicle. Three people were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
On Friday afternoon Police Chief John Drake told reporters authorities had found tissue they believe could be human remains.
Drake said the tissue has been sent to the medical examiner's office to assess whether it is human remains. He did not say how close the tissue was to the vehicle that exploded.
Officials also said the explosion disrupted AT&T service in the region and caused a brief ground stop at the city's main airport, with connectivity issues persisting in the region Friday evening.
"Everything on the street was on fire," witness Buck McCoy told CNN. "There were three cars that were fully engulfed."
Police said in an afternoon briefing that the RV had broadcast a warning message, advising people within earshot to clear the area, about 15 minutes before the bomb blast.
"We will supply all of the resources needed to determine what happened and who was responsible," Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee tweeted. "We thank all of our first responders who acted so quickly this morning."
Mayor John Cooper said nearly two dozen buildings nearby received at least some damage from the blast.
Authorities, including federal agents from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, are investigating the blast and say it appears to be an intentional act.
"Acting Attorney General Jeff Rosen was briefed on the Nashville incident early this morning and directed that all [federal] resources be made available to assist in the investigation," the U.S. Justice Department said in a statement.
The White House said President Donald Trump, who is spending Christmas at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, has been briefed on the explosion and is receiving updates.
