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Betty MacDonald, the author of The Egg and I and the Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle Series is beloved all over the world. Don't miss Wolfgang Hampel's Betty MacDonald biography and his very witty interviews on CD and DVD!
Monday, December 11, 2017
Manhattan subway explosion
Manhattan subway explosion 'was attempted terrorist attack', says mayor
Four total injuries reported in blast on subway near Port Authority
Passengers told by police to ‘avoid the area’ while subway lines diverted
A 27-year-old man was in custody on Monday after detonating an explosive device in a New York City subway station during the morning commute. The suspect, Akayed Ullah, was one of four people injured in the
explosion, which occurred at about 7.20am in a passageway near 42nd
Street and 8th Avenue, in midtown Manhattan near Times Square, New York City police said.
None of the injuries were life-threatening. At a press conference,
New York police commissioner James O’Neill said the suspect had “an
improvised low-tech explosive device attached to his body”. Daniel
Nigro, the fire department commissioner, said Ullah sustained burns to
his hands and torso while the three other people suffered “ringing ears
and headaches”.
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“This was an attempted terrorist attack,” said New York City mayor Bill de Blasio. Andrew Cuomo, the governor of New York, said an attack on the subway
was “very frightening and disturbing” and “in many ways, one of our
worst nightmares”. “This is New York,”
Cuomo said. “The reality is that we are a target by many who would like
to make a statement against democracy, against freedom. We have the
Statue of Liberty in our harbor. Anyone can go on the internet and
download garbage and vileness, how to put together an amateur level
explosive device, and that is the reality we live with. “The counter-reality is that this is New York and we all pitch
together, and we are a savvy people and we keep our eyes open … and we
have the best law enforcement in the globe.” De Blasio said there were “no known additional incidents or
activities” but said there would be an increased police presence in the
city. The suspect, a Bangladeshi immigrant, was being treated at Bellevue
hospital. Police said there was video of the attempted attack. Asked if
the suspect was connected to the Islamic State terror group, O’Neill
said the suspect “did make statements” but did not elaborate. Police were investigating Brooklyn properties connected to Ullah or
his relatives shortly after the attempted attack. In the quiet
residential neighborhood of Kensington, witnesses said they had seen a
Swat team enter a six-story building.
The subway station where the blast happened is below Port Authority bus terminal, the busiest
in the world, serving at least 65 million passengers each year. On
Monday morning, nearby Times Square and its surroundings were
overwhelmed by police. The area would usually be packed with commuters
and tourists.
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The
explosion occurred less than two months after a man drove a truck into a
bicycle lane on Manhattan’s west side, killing eight people. The
suspect pleaded not guilty to 22 counts including providing material support to the Islamic State group. In September 2016,
30 people were injured when a bomb exploded behind a dumpster on West
23rd Street, in the Chelsea neighbourhood. The suspect was found guilty this October, on eight charges. On Monday, travellers reacted with bemusement, relief and some humor.
Danny Nguyen, 24, heard the explosion while he waited for a bus home to
Philadelphia. He said police ran into the station. “I saw a mom trying
to take her daughter up the elevator the wrong way, just panicking,” he
said. Tina Grimes, 38, was supposed to be on a bus to Boston. She said she
was going to make the best of her extra time in New York. “It’s too cold
to walk around,” she said. “Maybe I’ll go shopping or something.” Barbara Petro had been due to return to Columbia, Maryland. She said
the incident would not put her off visiting New York again, but was
disappointed because “my granddaughter is singing in a Christmas
performance as an angel tonight, and I don’t think I’ll make it”. The attack interrupted nearly every subway line and some trains were
evacuated, putting even more strain on a subway system that has been
heavily criticized for long delays and frequent train breakdowns. Many New Yorkers were unfazed. Shaun Henderson was on the F train
after the explosion and said he was just happy the trains were working,
even if he was going to be late for work. “It’s the subway, you know,” Henderson said. “New Yorkers are used to
this. The F train doesn’t need a pipe bomb to be fucked up.” Hours after the explosion, the subway system had almost completely
resumed normal service. The only aberration was trains bypassing the
station where the explosion occurred. Donald Trump was briefed but did not immediately respond. Instead,
the president tweeted a complaint about a New York Times story that said
he watched four to eight hours of television every day. “Bad
reporting,” he wrote. Though witnesses described panic immediately after the explosion,
shortly after the attack the scene was calm. The usually frantic five
lanes of 8th Avenue were closed to traffic from 34th Street to the site
of the explosion but pedestrians and cyclists moved freely. Police
blocked off the road between the huge frame of Port Authority and the
New York Times skyscraper, across the street. Lythia, who asked for her last name not to be used, was handing out a
free paper, Metro, at the corner of 40th Street and 8th Avenue when she
saw “people running towards me saying it was an explosion, it was a
bomb. Everybody was just running. Then I saw the cops, the fire
department, the ambulance, the bomb squad.” She said she was not scared:“I felt like an angel was protecting me.” Another newspaper distributor, Jerome Thompson, was more shaken up.
“People came running from the situation,” he said. “I was shocked. I was
getting a little frightened too. I thought this is serious. I’m glad
everybody is all right.” Additional reporting by Adam Gabbatt, Oliver Laughland and Alan Yuhas.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club, founded by Wolfgang Hampel, has members in 40 countries.
Wolfgang Hampel, author of Betty MacDonald biography interviewed Betty MacDonald's family and friends. His Interviews have been published on CD and DVD by Betty MacDonald Fan Club. If you are interested in the Betty MacDonald Biography or the Betty MacDonald Interviews send us a mail, please.
Several original Interviews with Betty MacDonald are available.
We are also organizing international Betty MacDonald Fan Club Events for example, Betty MacDonald Fan Club Eurovision Song Contest Meetings in Oslo and Düsseldorf, Royal Wedding Betty MacDonald Fan Club Event in Stockholm and Betty MacDonald Fan Club Fifa Worldcup Conferences in South Africa and Germany.
Betty MacDonald Fan Club Honour Members are Monica Sone, author of Nisei Daughter and described as Kimi in Betty MacDonald's The Plague and I, Betty MacDonald's nephew, artist and writer Darsie Beck, Betty MacDonald fans and beloved authors and artists Gwen Grant, Letizia Mancino, Perry Woodfin, Traci Tyne Hilton, Tatjana Geßler, music producer Bernd Kunze, musician Thomas Bödigheimer, translater Mary Holmes and Mr. Tigerli.
