In new york city, not for quite some time, in the 50s and 60s, bombing of the laguardia terminal in 1975 that killed 11 people at that time. This is something that we have not seen in the city of new york, basically, for decades. More recently, there have been a coup of individualtype bombing pacts, aimed at the recruiting center in times square of manhattan, someone on a bicycle throwing that device in. Another one over on third avenue by the british consulate happened six or seven years ago. But this, of course, concern of possible terrorism in the wake of the pipe bomb that did go off, thankfully, early, in Seaside Heights earlier this morning. That at 9 30, just before a marine run and 5k that would benefit families of our marines went off. Obviously, no one was injured, thankfully in Seaside Heights. That because that 5k was delayed. But youre looking at a google map there of where this explosion occurred. And our brian llenas has been on the site at the scene right next to that area with the very latest. Brian, what do you have right now . Reporter good evening, eric. What we know is about 8 30 p. M. , from what were understanding, there was report of an explosion here on 23 and 7th avenue. Right now were between 24th street and 23rd and 7th. The fdny tell us that there are in fact 25 injured. Two of those happened to be civilians that were injured while they were on the street. As to whether or not where this came from, we do not know. We do not know whether this was any kind of explosive device. We only know that there was an explosion so loud that it shook many of the area buildings. People physically came out of their buildings, because it was so loud and so forceful that people on the blocks from where this explosion apparently happened felt it, to the point many of them came out to the street to see what we are see right now. Take a look at the scene. This explosion, the fdny said this happened at 23rd and 6th, which is the next avenue by. But were still seeing fdny on the scene, many fdny fire trucks, and weve seen bomb dogs go by as well, searching the area, perhaps for any other devices or any explosive devices in the area. We do have a witness that we met, as soon as we got here on the scene. Her name is solei. You were just with us. If you can just explain to the our viewers one more time what you saw. You had just gotten off the bus, and just explain to everybody back home what you witnessed . I just got off of the crosstown bus on 23rd street, on 7th avenue. And i went into a Convenience Store to get a magazine. I came outside and i heard boom. And it was so huge and it didnt sound didnt seem normal. And i saw a big cloud of smoke. I dont know where it was coming from. It looked like it was in the middle of the street. And it was shaking. It was shaking my body. It was shaking it was very forceful. And it didnt seem like it was going to stop. I knew that it was something something was very wrong. People started to running from 23rd street around the corner and i ran with them. And we all came over here and then i went to whole foods, because i felt safe there. And then all, you know, the police cars and the sirens, and they were filling up that block. They were going down the block and this is what we have now. But i had just gotten off the bus, went into the store for two minutes, not even a minute, really, so quickly, and came right now and it happened. And you said the explosion, in terms of sound, it was something you had never really heard before. It sounded like being at the fireworks, but theyre kind of cheerful. This was like a and it was a big explosion. Like i hear, if im watching a news show and theres it seemed like a war to me. It really sounded horrible. It was really scary. And you saw black smoke. You came out of the Convenience Store here on the corner of 23rd and 7th. You saw the smoke down towards 6th avenue and 23rd. But i saw it very clearly, it was like a big cloud of black smoke. And ibased on what you saw, you did not see this explosion come out of a building. From your perspective, it was in the middle of the street. It didnt seem like there was a building. It just seemed like it was just like in the middle of the street, thats what it seemed like to me. Terms of the people that were here, was it a packed a night on a saturday night that tuyou wou see in chelsea or any given night . It was pretty crowded in the streets tonight, a beautiful night. I had come from downtown. But the people that started running up 23rd, thats why i ran. I was looking to see what was going on, to stay there, after the explosion. And i got scared, because everybody started running, you know . And people were panicking. And people came out from 24th street from their apartments and theyre all asking, do you know what went on . Do you know what went on . And there were people at their jobs and they said their whole building shook. So thats what happened. The explosion was so loud that we actually had somebody that came up to us that put that is actually with the National Guard. They were inside their Apartment Building on 24th street and they told me, once they heard the explosion, they put on the uniform and came out here on their own accord to tell me how they could help. The explosion was so loud, he initially thought that perhaps it was scaffolding, but then he realized it was much louder than that. And thats what you see with some of those National Guard uniform wearers here. It seems to me, based on what this person told me, that they just happen to be in the area for training, and as soon as they heard, they happened to be in yump already. Some of the people you may be seeing in the background and decided to come out here. Its not like they were called out here. They were happy to be in the area for but again, 25 injured, 2 civilians on the street. You heard that account. She was in a Convenience Store, loud enough that last, she had told me, the sound it seemed like for 15 seconds. Again, but we have no indication of where this came from, what is going on yet. We still do not know, but given what happened earlier today, with the seaside park pipe bomb that was found in that garbage can, obviously, alert was already high in the area. The joint Terrorism Task force was in that area already. So well see. Were waiting on as much information as we can. Traffic has been stopped. People are on the streets watching in the middle of the chelsea neighborhood here, where about 20 blocks south of times square. Were about nine, ten blocks away from penn station. A major transportation hub area here. This is a beautiful saturday night. But right now, the crews here are just looks like theyre on standby. But again, an explosion on 23rd and 6th, 25 injured. Well bring you more adds we get it. Let me make one more point. Usually sensitive sights such as the united nations, the empire state building, the World Trade Center. The radical islamic terrorists went after the World Trade Center twice. And first terrorist attack in the United States occurred in 1990, an assassination of an extremist rabbi who was shot by someone who turned o out to be part of the cell that then went on to bomb the World Trade Center three years later. We of course at this early point have no indication of any of that. I raise this, because are there any sense ty sights there on 23rd and 6th . I know the area. There is a National Guard armory on 14th street between 7th or 8th avenue, but youre dealing with a basic new york city, chelsea commercial street with restaurants and coffee shops and the famed chelsea hotel. So am i right, there isnt really anything that would speak out to any kind of terrorist attack, except the type of fear and terror that they would potentially want to wage by putting a potential bomb in a garbage can, although i want to make clear, there is no indication that that confirmed is exactly what happened here tonight. Reporter right, eric. I dont see anything here in the immediate area that would be a potential target like you mentioned, like a major transportation hub. I know you mentioned the armory. We see a Whole Foods Market place. This is a residential neighborhood. People live here. There are other bars here in the area, but again, a lot of people live in this area. I wouldnt say that there was anything that would pop up. But we are going to try to move to the ore side of 6th and 5th. It seems to be a fluid situation, traffic has stopped. And well try to get you more information as the to perhaps location. We only know it was on 23rd and 6th. I dont know in front of what building. I dont know if thats on an intersection. Frankly, we only know that there was a very loud sound at this point. We dont know what it was from. We just have witnesses who have been giving us an amazing account thus far. And well see. Well talk to other witnesses, as well. As a matter of fact, we may have one over here, too, that we may be able to bring in. Thats the best we can do. Well bring her here, anyway. Youre right, eric, go ahead. I was just going to say, let me bring the viewers up to date on the history of the bombings in new york city. In 1973, a palestinian group, the black september group actually left two car bombs, one on fifth avenue, one by jfk. Thankfully, they did not detonate. There was a shooter at the empire state building. Much more recently, back in the early 1990s, weve had shootings. Rashi baz, who turned out to be a terrorist, killing ary habber stan. But nothing like the spate of bombings the city saw at the Laguardia Airport when a bomb was put in a baggage container at the airport and killed 11 people. Thankfully, we have not had of course a town house at Greenwich Village exploded accidental because of the Weather Underground and radicals at that point were trying to establish a bomb factory in Greenwich Village. But clearly, no indications of that sort here, so far. You have a witness. Lets hear what she has to say. Reporter debora, you were in the area when the blast went off. Is that correct . Yes, i was. Where were you . I was in a burrito place, a vegetarian place. And the lady was fixing my burrito and i get ready to sit down to eat and all of a sudden we hear a boom and it was loud and shook the building and everything. And then, bam, we ran. We hold people running, holding their ears, coughing and wiping their eyes and stuff like that. And are you all right . Are you all right . And while we was doing that, we saw a big cloud of smoke. It was a fireball in between. Thats how we saw it. When the fire was going on not the fire, because we didnt see fire. You saw like a moon, but it was rain and saw a cloud around it. And everybody was running and running and running. And we was just running. We were asking people, are you all right . I didnt want to go over there. But it was bad. Real bad. We thought it was a building collapsing, or i thought, because i dont know anything about bombs or anything like that. I thought it was a gas explosion, because i know they working on that building over there. But come to find out, it was something different. So they are working on a building over there by 23rd . Yes. They are. They have the scaffolding and everything up. So i thought it was that. Reporter was the explosion by that building . It was near the building, as far as i can see. Reporter in front of it . Yes, around in that area. I didnt go all the way down. But it was big enough for me to see it. I mean, it was big, it was real big. You were at the brurrito place, one more time, in terms of location, was where again . 24th and 7th, where the one train is. Reporter so you come out here on 24th and 7th and you see the explosion. I didnt come out i was out here all day. It went to home depot and i went to burlington and then i was ready to eat. I was hungry, see, im fasting. So i went over there to get me a burrito and all of a sudden there was this big bang i mean, a bad bang. Deborah, thank you so much. Very much appreciate it. Again, thats what weve been hearing in terms of our witnesses, just a giant bang. You heard it from debora. She saw people coming out with dust on their eyes, running, a fireball type of image they saw between those clouds of smoke. These are the kind of thing were hearing. Well bring more to you as we get it. 25 people injured, as police have been telling us, as weve said. And obviously, it could have been much, much worse. But well have pat bronson on the phone right now, former new York City Police detective. What does this sound like to you . You have a potential gas explosions, there have been problems with that in new york city. No smell of gas, according to witnesses. But when you hear this big boom and smoke, said to be in a dumpster, whats your gut tell you . Uh we lost pat are you back, pat . Im back. Whats your gut tell you about this . So eric, heres the thing. Im not a big believer in coincidences. And the probability of the two events occurred today, 11 hours ago, a pipe bomb went off in Seaside Heights, new jersey, okay, at a military event, a foot race, commemorating the United States military. And then tonight, we have an explosion in a dumpster. So lets look at it logically. A dumpster is not a chemical lab. Its not a power plant. Its not a location where an accidental explosion could occur because of a confluence of factors or a confluence of chemicals. Like you mentioned with the fln bombing. The reality is, to me, i know its premature and theres a lot of fog swirling, was you have 15 new yorkers, ostensibly, who have been injured by a bomb that exploded in a dumpster. Think about that. What totality of circumstances could cause it occur otherwise without it being an intentional event . You have to look at it through those pragmatic lenses. And then you have to look at it through the probability, as you very astutely pointed out, when was the last time we had that kind of a bomb explosion in new york . Pretty rare. Our on the jobs for years about this, and i remember covering this for many, many years. And going back before that. The Police Headquarters in 82 or so, they put a bomb on the quarter and an officer went to pick up the satchel, it blew up and blew his hands off. Weve had injuries of the brave and courageous Law Enforcement officers for many, many years. Hats off to the bomb skbaud the National Guard who were in the area. One guy was in the area. That is the courage, bravery, inspiration of our country, and what we saw in 9 11 ocuring here tonight. Thankfully it is small. Thankfully not a lot of people are injured. But you have concern. Is it possible someone or some group would target such a disparate area . How would they know theres a marine run in new jersey and potentially place something in a dumpster on a saturday night in chelsea, or did i just answer the question for you when i said, a saturday night in chelsea . I think you answered the question partially. The other thing, its oftentimes, lets extrapolate a step further. Lets give them the credit for mastermind planning that they put together the activity in Seaside Heights at a foot race to commemorate the military. The overarching premise behind terrorism is to terrorize. Take a bomb and explode it in chelsea on a saturday night and you have the totality of factors. 15 in the hospital and a terrorized proposition. Thats the goal. They dont necessarily embrace the exact same symbolic event that we do. We worry about the fourth of july and our super bowl. But if you take a very pragmatic close look at the timing and the events and indicates of completed terrorist events in the last three decades, it doesnt work with the dates like we do. Its about putting us into a terrorism frenzy where were victimized by ourself. Isnt that the modus operandi weve seen in israel for years . To sew terror indiscriminately, like potentially we see here tonight . Exactly, eric. And thats what its all about. Its all about the unannounced. Its all about the unannounced. It would be very simple for them to do it on the birthday, or Independence Day or Christmas Day or the last day of the super bowl. But of doing it on a saturday night in late september on 23rd and 6th. What about that . That speaks to the heart of the whole terrorist ideology, which is, we can be anywhere, anytime. You cannot be ready for us. And how do we harness this . At the 5k earlier today, some could rightfully say that garbage can should not have been open for someone to put a bomb in. In new york city, when you have events like block parties, when you have parades, they put tape and seal the Manhole Covers on the street. They lock the post office mailboxes, so you cant put an explosive device in the mailbox, and take the garbage cans away. Right. But the fact is, were in a capitalistic democracy. Were in an open society. You seal and weld and make every manhole cover, but then to a dmpster, do the same thing, then they go to a garbage can. We have to be proactive and be deceitfully and very proactively involved in putting our and their space, learning their moves, gathering the intelligence and acting on it. Thats the answer. Because were far too open to ever effectively seal all the potential spots. And you saw it today, a dumpster. Are we going to start welding dumpsters up . Is that the next step . Not likely. Were in trouble. Pat, weve seen and we are not subscribing this to terrorism. There is no confirmation. Weve got to listen to witnesses. It was powerful enough to blow out windows. Thankfully, only minor injuries tonight. Where would you look . Where would you point to . Islamic terrorism starting in 1990, that hotel. 1993, the bombing of the World Trade Center. 1995, landmark bombing case by the blind sheik. And on and on, the subway attack that was planned, times square, a van with a bomb in times square. Where would you look or could it be somewhere else . Im sorry, eric . Where would you look, pat, for potential suspects and how do they go about trying to piece this together on what group, if there is one, potentially did this . Youre breaking up a little bit. Are you requesting an answer as to where would we l