Blasts rock British consulate in New York

NEW YORK - Two small explosions rocked the building that houses the British consulate in New York City today.

The blasts came as Britain was holding general elections.

They shattered windows, but there were no injuries or structural damage.

A witness described "two loud bangs" at 3.35am (7.35pm NZT).

A police spokesman said the explosions took place in front of the 21-storey building.

In London, a Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We're aware of the reports. We're currently investigating."

The police spokesman said the blast caused no casualties, but he could not say whether occupants of the building had been evacuated after the blast.

"We have our bomb squad units at the location," the spokesman said, adding that it would take some time to determine the cause of the blast.

Television pictures from the scene showed firefighters and police officers at the site where the explosion happened.

Emergency vehicles with flashing lights were gathered around and the scene was cordoned off.

The blast appeared to have shattered panes of glass on the ground floor of the building.

News of the incident started to emerge at around the same time as, thousands of miles away as Prime Minister Tony Blair was casting his vote in Britain's general election.

Throughout the election campaign, Mr Blair has been dogged by controversy over his decision to commit British forces to the US-led war in Iraq.

- AGENCIES