Video shows robot accidentally detonating bomb in New Jersey

A bomb was accidentally detonated in Elizabeth, New Jersey, early Monday morning after a robot, sent in by a bomb squad, attempted to disable it. The device, left nearby a train station and a local pub, had been in a backpack that contained "as many as five potential explosive devices," Reuters reported. Authorities hoped the robot could cut the wire to disable the device, but instead this happened:

There were no injuries reported, though Elizabeth Mayor Christian Bollwage noted that "based on the loudness," people likely could have been "severely hurt or injured if they had been in the vicinity."

Authorities are working to disable the other devices found in the backpack. Bollwage said it was "unclear" whether the city was targeted or if the backpack "might have been discarded to elude investigators," Reuters reported.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.

Sign up

Two other bombs went off over the weekend, including one on the Jersey Shore and another in New York City, which left 29 injured.