17 people wounded in Los Angeles bomb truck explosion

17 people wounded in Los Angeles bomb truck explosion
17 people wounded in Los Angeles bomb truck explosion
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Written by Harry Johnson

The explosion rocked the neighborhood, overturning nearby cars, shattering glass and damaging homes as it sent a large plume of smoke up in the air.

  • Los Angeles police had spent the day seizing a large cache of fireworks from a home.
  • 16 out f the 17 people injured were taken to the hospital.
  • There was a “total catastrophic failure of that containment vehicle,” according to LAPD.

LAPD bomb squad’s attempts to destroy a stockpile of illegal fireworks ended up in a huge explosion that destroyed the Los Angeles Police Department‘s armored truck, injured 17 people, including 10 police officers, and required the evacuation of nearby homes.

Of the 17 people injured, 16 were taken to the hospital with one declining the option of being transported.

The explosion came around 7:30pm Wednesday night in the 700 block of East 27th Street,ย where police had spent the day seizing a large cache of fireworks from a home. They came across about 40 homemade โ€œcoke can-sizedโ€ devices with powder and fuses on them, and 200 smaller similar devices. The bomb squad determined them to be โ€œvery volatile.โ€

The devices were transferred to a “total containment vehicle” with an iron chamber, which is designed to house explosive material that can be safely detonated.

When the items were detonated shortly after 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, there was a “total catastrophic failure of that containment vehicle,” according to LAPD.

The explosion rocked the neighborhood, overturning nearby cars, shattering glass and damaging homes as it sent a large plume of smoke up in the air.ย 

Up to nine families in the neighborhood are displaced from their homes after the explosion.

Los Angeles Police Department said the explosion will be investigated over the course of the coming days. Federal investigators are expected to arrive at the scene later Thursday.

About the author

Avatar of Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson

Harry Johnson has been the assignment editor for eTurboNews for mroe than 20 years. He lives in Honolulu, Hawaii, and is originally from Europe. He enjoys writing and covering the news.

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