Explosion Outside Manhattan Starbucks; None Injured: Videos

By DEEPTI HAJELA
Associated Press Writer

(AP) NEW YORK

An explosion early Monday morning on Manhattan's Upper East Side, possibly caused by a small bomb made from fireworks, destroyed a sidewalk bench and shattered windows in a Starbucks coffee shop.

No one was injured in the blast, which happened around 3:30 a.m.

Investigators were looking into the similarities between the explosion and others that have taken place in the city over the last four years, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. The bomb went off around the same time of day as an explosion at the British consulate in May 2005, another at the Mexican consulate in October 2007 and one at the Times Square military recruiting station in March 2008.

In the previous bombings, a bicyclist was seen in the area prior to the explosions. No witnesses came forward immediately Monday, and police still have to see what, if any, security camera footage is available, Kelly said.

"We don't know the motive. Obviously it is a cause for concern, but we're going to do an in-depth investigation," he said.

Kelly said the explosive appears to have been placed on the seat of the bench, but didn't know what kind of container it was in. He said investigators would examine the remains to determine what kind of explosive it was. He was it was possible it was some kind of firework.

Police also were looking at whether the Starbucks _ at 92nd Street and Third Avenue, a few blocks from the Guggenheim Museum _ was the target.

Residents living above the coffee shop were evacuated for a time but were allowed to return to their apartments later in the morning.

One of them, Jordan Kovnot, a 26-year-old law school student, told the Daily News, "I heard a giant noise _ a big, giant noise, like a crash _ and there was a flash."






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Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Great just what we need. Brings this holiday into a little more perspective. I salute all you troops out there . I hope they catch the pricks that did this.
Will things like this never end?

Why can't we all just get along?

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