A loud explosion interrupted activity in New York’s financial district after a vehicle caught fire and exploded in front of the emblematic Wall Street Bullin Lower Manhattan. Videos spread on social networks showed people running while intense flames and dense columns of black smoke covered part of the nearby streets.
The incident occurred this Tuesday, May 20, in the area of Broadway and Stone Street, where, according to preliminary reports, a car allegedly affiliated with the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) It started to catch fire before exploding.
In shared recordings Witnesses observed how the fire quickly consumed the vehicle, while pedestrians, tourists and workers left the place amid the fear generated by the explosion.
Elements of the Fire Department of New York (FDNY) and police officers immediately went to the area to control the emergency and restrict access to several streets in the financial sector.
#20May | A vehicle explosion in the middle of a public street and in front of the iconic Wall Street Bull sculpture unleashed moments of chaos and alarm in the financial district of New York City. 🇺🇸💥🏙️
According to information provided by CNN, the car… pic.twitter.com/KF3tYv7AnL
— El Nacional (@ElNacionalWeb) May 20, 2026
Firefighters controlled the fire
American media reported that the fire was controlled minutes later by emergency forces, who also carried out work to remove the remains of the burned vehicle.
The authorities confirmed that no injuries or deaths were reported during the incident, although the explosion generated moments of tension and runs in one of the most visited areas of Manhattan.
🔴A van exploded next to the Wall Street Bull in New York: this is what is known about the cloud of black smoke in southern Manhattan
The vehicle was engulfed in flames a few meters from the ‘Charging Bull’, forcing hundreds of passers-by to flee the site to save… pic.twitter.com/96RqAlzUAm
— EL TIEMPO (@ELTIEMPO) May 20, 2026
According to reports from ABC 7 NY and Univision+investigations continue to establish what caused the fire and later car explosion.
They remember historic attack of 1920
The incident also revived memories of the bombing that occurred on Wall Street in 1920, when a car loaded with explosives detonated in front of the headquarters of JP Morgan & Co., causing dozens of deaths and injuries.
According to historical records of FBIthat explosion left 38 people dead and more than 200 injured, becoming one of the most serious attacks recorded in the United States during that time.
Unlike that historical event, the authorities indicated that the explosion that occurred this Tuesday remains under investigation and would preliminarily be related to a vehicle fire.
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