At least 29 people have been injured in an explosion in the Chelsea district of New York city.
The cause of the blast remains unclear but Mayor Bill de Blasio has described it as ‘intentional’ although there are no known links to terror.
The force of the blast blew-out windows and could be heard several blocks away.
According to officials, a device was found at a second location in the same district, after sweeping through the neighbourhood.
Hundreds of people were seen fleeing down the block, as police rushed to cordon off the area.
Residents living nearby were also advised to stay away from windows facing the street as a precaution, and the item was later safely moved to a police firing range for further examination.
New York’s fire commissioner said none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening, although one was serious.
Long before the explosion, New York had been tightening security for the start of this week’s U.N. General Assembly session, which is expected to bring over 135 world leaders and dozens of foreign government ministers to the city.
Although the investigators have not found evidences of a ‘terror attack’, U.S. officials have not ruled out the possibility of a terror connection and have employed a Joint Terrorism Task Force to further investigate the case.