Bomb squad is called after RV explodes in Nashville
Nashville explosion WAS intentional: FBI is called in after huge blast from a ‘parked vehicle’ outside shops and restaurants injures three and rocks the city on Christmas Day
- The blast happened on 2nd Avenue between Church St and Commerce St at around 6.40am on Friday
- Three people were taken to the hospital with non-serious injuries and there is significant damage
- Police had been called to a suspicious vehicle in the street in the morning and had called a bomb squad
- While the bomb squad was on their way to the vehicle, the explosion happened
- It was felt for blocks, with people reporting feeling the ground shake and windows shattering
- The FBI and the ATF are on the scene to assist with the investigation; the type of explosive is not yet known
Nashville police have confirmed the huge explosion that shattered windows and shook the ground before dawn on Friday morning was ‘an intentional act’
The explosion happened at 6.30am local time and came from a parked vehicle on Second Avenue, outside the AT&T building, between Church Street and Commerce Street – an area where there are bars, restaurants, retailers and apartments.
Three people were taken to the hospital for non-serious injuries.
At a press conference shortly before 10am, police chiefs revealed they were already on their way to the vehicle which had been reported as suspicious when the blast happened.
‘An officer responded and after assessing, the devices unit was en route to the downtown area when an explosion linked to that vehicle took place.
‘The explosion was significant as you can see from the street. The police department, it’s partners, the FBI and ATF are conducting a large scale investigation.
‘We do believe the explosion was an intentional act,’ a police spokesman said at the scene.
An aerial view of the scene in downtown Nashville on Friday morning after an ‘intentional’ explosion came from a parked car
This was the scene in downtown Nashville on Friday morning after a parked vehicle exploded
This was the scene immediately after the explosion on Friday morning in downtown Nashville
A vehicle burns near the site of an explosion in the area of Second and Commerce in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. December 25, 2020. It’s unclear if this was the vehicle that caused the blast or not
Emergency personnel work at the scene of an explosion in downtown Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Dec. 25, 2020
The explosion sent thick plumes of smoke which cut through the skyline for hours after the blast on Friday
Emergency personnel work at the scene of an explosion in downtown Nashville, Tennessee, in the immediate area and beyond after a loud boom was heard early Christmas morning
Debris scattered a near the scene of an explosion in downtown Nashville, Tenn., Friday, Dec. 25, 2020. Buildings shook in the immediate area and beyond after a loud boom was heard early Christmas morning
A building is damaged near the area where an explosion was reported on Friday, Dec. 25, 2020 in Nashville, Tenn. Buildings shook in the immediate area and beyond after a loud boom was heard early Christmas morning
Smoke rises from downtown after a reported explosion on Friday, Dec. 25, 2020 in Nashville, Tenn. Buildings shook in the immediate area and beyond after a loud boom was heard early Christmas morning
According to local reports, ‘shaking’ was felt throughout the city.
One report claimed the blast came from an RV but officials are yet to verify that detail. Metro Nashville PD said the explosion was ‘linked’ to a vehicle but gave no other details.
The blast happened directly outside a multi-purpose building that sits next to the Cumberland River.
The blast caused damage to downtown buildings like broken windows, but no injuries have been reported and no serious harm was caused.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has been called in to help with the investigation.
‘There is an incident involving an explosion. This is an active scene. Metro Nashville Police Department and Nashville Fire Department are on the scene.
‘There are no additional details to provide at this time,’ the Nashville Fire Department said in a statement.
Within minutes of the blast, social media lit up with people reporting that they felt it and the ground ‘shaking’.
Other videos emerged of small, break-out fires and people screaming in the street but miraculously no one has been seriously injured.
This was the scene immediately after the explosion in downtown Nashville on Friday morning
This was the scene in downtown Nashville on Friday morning after a parked vehicle exploded at 6.40am
The Nashville Fire Department tweeted this photo of the aftermath of the explosion on Friday morning as they asked people to stay away from the area
Many of the businesses on Commerce Street had their windows blown out by the explosion
An aerial view of the aftermath of the explosion on Friday morning
