Authorities have been searching a two-story suburban house in the Nashville area as they probe the huge blast that ripped through the downtown of the southern US city on Christmas morning.&nbsp;Police and federal agents were scouring the charred site of a Christmas Day explosion in Nashville on Saturday.

Investigators have also been evaluating the possibility that the blast was likely the result of a suicide bombing, according to a report in CNN.

They said they were sifting through more than 500 leads and tips and that sweeps of the area found no further explosive devices.

Following up on these 500 leads, local police and agents from the FBI and US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were searching a two-story, red-brick house on Bakertown Road in Antioch, Tennessee, 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Nashville, paying particular attention to its basement.

The bomb blast injured at least three people and damaged some 40 buildings. No deaths have been confirmed but authorities were examining tissue found at the blast site that they believe could be human remains.

Police say the blast was an "intentional act" but the motive remained unclear and FBI behavioral analysts were involved in the investigation.

US media reports said a 63-year-old "person of interest" was identified in connection with the explosion, which came from a parked motorhome that blared a warning minutes before it blew up.

No one has been arrested, but "information developed during the course of the investigation led us to this address", an FBI spokesman said in an interview with the Nashville Tennessean newspaper outside the home being searched.&nbsp;

At a separate press conference, authorities on Saturday declined to name a person of interest in connection with the explosion, but CBS News reported that the investigation has honed in on 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner, who recently lived at the Bakertown address.&nbsp;

According to a document posted online, on November 25 he signed over the property to a woman in Los Angeles at no cost to her. The document was signed by Warner, but not by the woman.

Other media reports said neighbours had previously spotted a motorhome outside the residence that was being searched Saturday by authorities, and that it appeared to be similar to the one that exploded in Nashville.

The investigation included some 250 FBI agents, analysts and other staff.

The governor toured the site on Saturday and said he had asked President Donald Trump to declare a state of emergency, a technical move that triggers federal assistance in repairing damage.

According to a timeline provided by the authorities, police were called to the area to respond to gunfire at 5:30 am, and officers spotted the motorhome at 6:00 am.

Fifteen minutes later, they heard an audio countdown coming from the vehicle warning of a bomb -- interspersed with music -- and the need to evacuate.

Police have not said if anyone was inside the motorhome at the time, but lauded the officers who arrived at the scene and took quick action.

A total of 41 businesses were damaged, Mayor John Cooper said.

Adding to the cryptic nature of Friday's incident was the eerie preamble described by witnesses - a crackle of gunfire followed an apparently computer-generated female voice from the RV reciting a minute-by-minute countdown to an impending bomb blast.

Police scrambled to evacuate nearby homes and buildings and called for a bomb squad, which was still en route to the scene when the RV blew up just outside an AT&amp;T Inc office building where it had been parked.

The explosion occurred about two blocks from Lower Broadway, where some of Nashville's famous live music venues are located. The Ryman Auditorium, former home of the Grand Ole Opry and just three blocks from the blast scene, was undamaged. The Gaylord Opryland and current Grand Ole Opry complexes, which sit outside the downtown area, were not impacted.

The motorhome was parked in front of a building for phone company AT&amp;T, causing damage that disrupted telecommunications service in Tennessee as well as parts of Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia.

AT&amp;T's efforts to restore services overnight were waylaid when a fire reignited at the company's downtown office at the site of the blast, but the company said in a statement on Saturday it was deploying portable cell sites to downtown Nashville and across the region.

(with inputs from agencies)

Authorities have been searching a two-story suburban house in the Nashville area as they probe the huge blast that ripped through the downtown of the southern US city on Christmas morning.

Authorities have been searching a two-story suburban house in the Nashville area as they probe the huge blast that ripped through the downtown of the southern US city on Christmas morning. Police and federal agents were scouring the charred site of a Christmas Day explosion in Nashville on Saturday. Investigators have also been evaluating the possibility that the blast was likely the result of a suicide bombing, according to a report in CNN. They said they were sifting through more than 500 leads and tips and that sweeps of the area found no further explosive devices. Following up on these 500 leads, local police and agents from the FBI and US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were searching a two-story, red-brick house on Bakertown Road in Antioch, Tennessee, 11 miles (18 km) southeast of Nashville, paying particular attention to its basement. The bomb blast injured at least three people and damaged some 40 buildings. No deaths have been confirmed but authorities were examining tissue found at the blast site that they believe could be human remains. Police say the blast was an "intentional act" but the motive remained unclear and FBI behavioral analysts were involved in the investigation. US media reports said a 63-year-old "person of interest" was identified in connection with the explosion, which came from a parked motorhome that blared a warning minutes before it blew up. No one has been arrested, but "information developed during the course of the investigation led us to this address", an FBI spokesman said in an interview with the Nashville Tennessean newspaper outside the home being searched. At a separate press conference, authorities on Saturday declined to name a person of interest in connection with the explosion, but CBS News reported that the investigation has honed in on 63-year-old Anthony Quinn Warner, who recently lived at the Bakertown address. According to a document posted online, on November 25 he signed over the property to a woman in Los Angeles at no cost to her. The document was signed by Warner, but not by the woman. Other media reports said neighbours had previously spotted a motorhome outside the residence that was being searched Saturday by authorities, and that it appeared to be similar to the one that exploded in Nashville. The investigation included some 250 FBI agents, analysts and other staff. The governor toured the site on Saturday and said he had asked President Donald Trump to declare a state of emergency, a technical move that triggers federal assistance in repairing damage. According to a timeline provided by the authorities, police were called to the area to respond to gunfire at 5:30 am, and officers spotted the motorhome at 6:00 am. Fifteen minutes later, they heard an audio countdown coming from the vehicle warning of a bomb -- interspersed with music -- and the need to evacuate. Police have not said if anyone was inside the motorhome at the time, but lauded the officers who arrived at the scene and took quick action. A total of 41 businesses were damaged, Mayor John Cooper said. Adding to the cryptic nature of Friday's incident was the eerie preamble described by witnesses - a crackle of gunfire followed an apparently computer-generated female voice from the RV reciting a minute-by-minute countdown to an impending bomb blast. Police scrambled to evacuate nearby homes and buildings and called for a bomb squad, which was still en route to the scene when the RV blew up just outside an AT&T Inc office building where it had been parked. The explosion occurred about two blocks from Lower Broadway, where some of Nashville's famous live music venues are located. The Ryman Auditorium, former home of the Grand Ole Opry and just three blocks from the blast scene, was undamaged. The Gaylord Opryland and current Grand Ole Opry complexes, which sit outside the downtown area, were not impacted. The motorhome was parked in front of a building for phone company AT&T, causing damage that disrupted telecommunications service in Tennessee as well as parts of Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama and Georgia. AT&T's efforts to restore services overnight were waylaid when a fire reignited at the company's downtown office at the site of the blast, but the company said in a statement on Saturday it was deploying portable cell sites to downtown Nashville and across the region. (with inputs from agencies)

Nashville bomb probe leads US investigators to 500 leads, suicide bombing suspected

The parked motor home, which exploded in downtown Nashville at dawn on Friday morning, blasted minutes after a recorded announcement emanating from the vehicle warned of a bomb.

Police has hence concluded it was an "intentional act" that injured at least three people.

It was uncertain whether anyone was inside the recreational vehicle when it exploded on Christmas morning, but police reported hours later that investigators had found possible human remains near the site.

The powerful explosion shattered windows and ripped apart trees, wounding several people when it detonated at 6:30 am (1230 GMT) in a section of the southern US city that was largely deserted due the early hour and the Christmas Day holiday.

Police chief John Drake told reporters there were no confirmed fatalities, but authorities were examining tissue found at the blast site that they believe could be human remains.

In a dramatic sequence of events that shattered the Christmas morning calm, police rushed to the area after getting reports of gunshots and noticed the vehicle as they arrived on the scene.

A recorded message playing from the motorhome warned that a bomb would detonate within 15 minutes -- enough time for a bomb squad to clear the area before the explosion, Drake and police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters earlier Friday.

Witnesses told the Tennessean newspaper the warning, spoken in a woman's voice, counted down to the blast.

The message, as captured in a recording broadcast later by local television news stations, said: "This area must be evacuated now. This area must be evacuated now. If you can hear this message, evacuate now. If you can hear this message, evacuate now."

Fire officials said three people were taken to local hospitals with relatively minor injuries, and they were listed in stable condition. Authorities said quick action by police to begin evacuating the area before the blast likely prevented more casualties.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper ordered a curfew imposed around the blast site through the holiday weekend as FBI investigators comb the scene, though police said they were aware of no further threats to Tennessee's most populous city.

Pictures shared on social media from the immediate aftermath showed thick plumes of black smoke rising from the burning RV and storefronts that had been torn apart.

The blast happened near an AT&amp;T facility, knocking out phone service for many in the area. The telecommunications company said that "given the damage to our facility it will take time to restore service."

The Nashville International Airport announced it had temporarily halted flights due to "telecommunications issues" associated with the blast.

Both President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden were briefed on the incident, which is being investigated by the FBI and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.&nbsp;

Biden issued a statement saying he and his wife Jill Biden "thank all the first responders working today in response to the incident, and wish those who were injured a speedy recovery."

Trump's spokesman Judd Deere tweeted that the president is "grateful for the incredible first responders and praying for those who were injured."

(with inputs from agencies)

The parked motor home, which exploded in downtown Nashville at dawn on Friday morning, blasted minutes after a recorded announcement emanating from the vehicle warned of a bomb.

The parked motor home, which exploded in downtown Nashville at dawn on Friday morning, blasted minutes after a recorded announcement emanating from the vehicle warned of a bomb. Police has hence concluded it was an "intentional act" that injured at least three people. It was uncertain whether anyone was inside the recreational vehicle when it exploded on Christmas morning, but police reported hours later that investigators had found possible human remains near the site. The powerful explosion shattered windows and ripped apart trees, wounding several people when it detonated at 6:30 am (1230 GMT) in a section of the southern US city that was largely deserted due the early hour and the Christmas Day holiday. Police chief John Drake told reporters there were no confirmed fatalities, but authorities were examining tissue found at the blast site that they believe could be human remains. In a dramatic sequence of events that shattered the Christmas morning calm, police rushed to the area after getting reports of gunshots and noticed the vehicle as they arrived on the scene. A recorded message playing from the motorhome warned that a bomb would detonate within 15 minutes -- enough time for a bomb squad to clear the area before the explosion, Drake and police spokesman Don Aaron told reporters earlier Friday. Witnesses told the Tennessean newspaper the warning, spoken in a woman's voice, counted down to the blast. The message, as captured in a recording broadcast later by local television news stations, said: "This area must be evacuated now. This area must be evacuated now. If you can hear this message, evacuate now. If you can hear this message, evacuate now." Fire officials said three people were taken to local hospitals with relatively minor injuries, and they were listed in stable condition. Authorities said quick action by police to begin evacuating the area before the blast likely prevented more casualties. Nashville Mayor John Cooper ordered a curfew imposed around the blast site through the holiday weekend as FBI investigators comb the scene, though police said they were aware of no further threats to Tennessee's most populous city. Pictures shared on social media from the immediate aftermath showed thick plumes of black smoke rising from the burning RV and storefronts that had been torn apart. The blast happened near an AT&T facility, knocking out phone service for many in the area. The telecommunications company said that "given the damage to our facility it will take time to restore service." The Nashville International Airport announced it had temporarily halted flights due to "telecommunications issues" associated with the blast. Both President Donald Trump and President-elect Joe Biden were briefed on the incident, which is being investigated by the FBI and the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Biden issued a statement saying he and his wife Jill Biden "thank all the first responders working today in response to the incident, and wish those who were injured a speedy recovery." Trump's spokesman Judd Deere tweeted that the president is "grateful for the incredible first responders and praying for those who were injured." (with inputs from agencies)

Huge blast, which tore through Nashville, hit after chilling bomb warning

An explosive device blew up early on Monday when a bomb squad robot cut a wire on the mechanism, one of as many as five potential bombs found near a train station in Elizabeth, New Jersey, officials said. 
 
No injuries were reported. The blast comes after a series of attacks in the United States in the last two days, including Saturday&#39;s Manhattan bombing that left 29 injured. 
 
The device that went off in Elizabeth was foud in a backpack that was left in a trash can,&nbsp;Mayor Christian Bollwage told reporters.&nbsp; 
 
A total of five potential explosive devices were found the backpack, Bollwage said. 
 
Police had already been investigating the Manhattan bombing, a Minnesota mass stabbing and a New Jersey pipe bomb blast. 
 
&quot;I can imagine that if all five of them went off at the same time, that the loss of life could have been enormous if there was an event going on,&rdquo; Bollwage told reporters.&nbsp; 
 
Bollwage said it is unclear whether Elizabeth, was targeted or if the backpack might have been discarded to elude investigators. 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies) 
 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

No one was injured in the blast that followed a series of attacks in the United States over the weekend

An explosive device blew up early on Monday when a bomb squad robot cut a wire on the mechanism, one of as many as five potential bombs found near a train station in Elizabeth, New Jersey, officials said. No injuries were reported. The blast comes after a series of attacks in the United States in the last two days, including Saturday's Manhattan bombing that left 29 injured. The device that went off in Elizabeth was foud in a backpack that was left in a trash can, Mayor Christian Bollwage told reporters. A total of five potential explosive devices were found the backpack, Bollwage said. Police had already been investigating the Manhattan bombing, a Minnesota mass stabbing and a New Jersey pipe bomb blast. "I can imagine that if all five of them went off at the same time, that the loss of life could have been enormous if there was an event going on,” Bollwage told reporters. Bollwage said it is unclear whether Elizabeth, was targeted or if the backpack might have been discarded to elude investigators. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Device explodes near New Jersey station as robot tries to disarm it, no casualties

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Nashville bomb probe leads US investigators to 500 leads, suicide bombing suspected

Huge blast, which tore through Nashville, hit after chilling bomb warning

Device explodes near New Jersey station as robot tries to disarm it, no casualties