'Intentional' car explosion rocks downtown Nashville

A parked recreational vehicle exploded in downtown Nashville, Tennessee early Christmas morning in what police are describing as an "intentional act," Tennessean reports.

First responders have blocked off portions of the downtown core after the explosion rocked the city and blew out the windows of nearby buildings. Smoke could be seen rising from the exploded vehicle.

Smoke could be seen rising from the blast zone from a far distance.

According to reports, police were called to the scene at 6:00 am, prior to the explosion, to respond to reports of a suspicious vehicle. An officer who arrived at the scene alerted Metro Nashville Police Department's (MNPD) hazardous devices unit, which was on its way to inspect the vehicle when it exploded less than half an hour later.

"This appears to have been an intentional act," MNPD wrote on Twitter.

MNPD spokesman Don Aaron affirmed the tweet, telling reporters "we do believe that the explosion was an intentional act."

Three people were hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries and no fatalities have been reported.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper toured the damaged area, telling reporters "it looks like a bomb went off," but that it is too early to draw definitive conclusions.

Cooper said that around 20 buildings appear to have been damaged by the explosion, and that the downtown area will be "sealed off" until it is "completely safe." Police are investigating the incident in conjunction with the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF).

An eyewitness named Buck McCoy lives just in front of where the explosion took place, telling reporters "everything on the street was fire. There were three cars that were fully engulfed."

McCoy was asked by first responders to evacuate the area for the time being. Noting the damage on the street, he further stated that "there's just nothing left on Second Avenue."

This is a developing story and will be updated.