Huge Christmas morning ‘motorhome bomb blast’ destroys Nashville street

A huge Christmas morning bomb hidden inside a motorhome wrecked a street in Nashville. The blast went off shortly after 6:40am EST on Friday, with the Tennessee city’s police department since saying the explosion was an intentional attack.

Locals reported hearing gunshots, before a recording began blaring out a warning that the recreational vehicle (RV) was packed with explosives, and warned it would detonate in 15 minutes.

Police were called to the RV, which was parked outside Nashville’s AT&T Building- which is known locally as ‘the Batman Building’. The explosion went off while a hazardous devices unit was en route, local reporter Yihyun Jeong tweeted.

Three people have been taken to hospital after being injured by the suspected bomb, although police say none of the victims are seriously-ill.

Police are hunting for the bombmaker, and believe the blast to have been an isolated incident, although they have yet to share a possible motive.

It shook buildings in the southern city, with photos showing brickwork ripped off buildings, and scores of windows shattered. Shrapnel was embedded in buildings within a five block radius of the blast site. Stunned locals took to social media to share their shock and fear in the wake of the explosion.

The area affected houses a mix of businesses and residential property, with police refusing to indicate a possible motive for a bomb blast. A wide cordon has been set up while FBI agents investigate.

Investigators from the city’s Bureau of Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on the scene, but have yet to make any official comment.

The streets of Nashville – famed for its country music venues – were quieter than usual because of Christmas morning, and ongoing warnings to stay at home to avoid catching Covid.

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