Bomb truck explodes in Los Angeles, injuring 17

August 19, 2024

This story has been updated.

A Los Angeles Police Department bomb-disposal truck exploded Wednesday night after officers removed explosives from a home where, earlier in the day, they had seized thousands of pounds of illegal fireworks. The blast left nearby cars flipped onto their sides and sent more than a dozen people to the hospital.

At least 17 people — 10 law enforcement personnel and seven residents — were hurt when a truck transporting the materials exploded about 6:40 p.m. The bomb squad was called to remove about 40 “Coca-Cola can-sized” improvised explosive devices, LAPD Chief Michel R. Moore said in a news conference late Wednesday.

None of the injuries are life-threatening, Moore said. Arturo Cejas, 27, was arrested Wednesday and charged with possession of a destructive device, he added, after police got a tip about illegal fireworks at the man’s home.

Police had earlier removed between 3,000 and 5,000 pounds of illegal fireworks from Cejas’s home, Moore said. The haul required three box trucks and a 53-foot trailer.

Officials then found the 40 explosive devices, Moore said, along with 200 similarly made smaller devices. The department called in the bomb squad and a special truck to move what Moore said was less than 10 pounds of unstable explosives.

“Now this is a semi-truck, multi-ton, commercial-grade transport that, within it, has an iron chamber that is meant for this, where they house explosive material that can be safely detonated,” Moore said.

He added: “This vessel should have been able to safely dispose of that material.”

Something went wrong, though, in what Moore called a “total catastrophic failure of that containment vehicle.”

LAPD spokesman William Cooper told The Washington Post on Wednesday night that the cause of the blast was not immediately known. Safety protocols were followed, Moore said, including using X-rays to examine the explosives and setting a safety perimeter around the truck carrying the materials.

Video posted to social media shows the truck exploding, blowing windows out of nearby buildings and tossing debris into the air and street.

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Nine LAPD police officers and one officer with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were treated for minor injuries, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department. All 10 were listed in fair condition and were taken to the hospital.

Seven bystanders — including three who were seriously injured — were also taken to the hospital. No details about the victims’ ages or genders were immediately made available.

Police responded to a tip on Wednesday that homemade and Chinese-manufactured pyrotechnics were in a South Los Angeles home, the Associated Press reported. A bomb squad was called to retrieve the materials. The unplanned explosion happened before what was supposed to be a planned detonation, KTTV reported.

Moore said the police department will also pursue child-endangerment charges against Cejas because the man’s 10-year-old brother was also in the home with the fireworks and explosives.

The fireworks and other materials were transported into California from out of state, Moore said, to be sold to neighbors and others.

Police Capt. Robert Long told KABC when the cache of illegal fireworks was found that he “would expect multiple houses destroyed had those explosives gone up.”

Firefighters assessed buildings near the site of the explosion for any structural damage. The blast broke glass and blew out windows, but Moore said no structural problems were found.

The LAPD tweeted Wednesday night that the area of the explosion “will be impacted for hours due to evacuations, rendering the location safe, and investigation.”

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) said he has directed the police department to launch a full investigation into the explosion, adding he was “deeply concerned” for the injured.

“Illegal fireworks pose a great danger and can cost lives,” Garcetti tweeted. “We will prosecute those who use or possess them to the fullest extent of the law.”

Los Angeles held a fireworks buyback program Wednesday ahead of the July Fourth holiday. A Facebook post on the program called for residents to turn in their illegal fireworks to “receive a free gift.”

“It’s time to safely discard your illegal fireworks and this is the perfect chance,” the Los Angeles Fire Department wrote, promoting the event. “Anonymous. No strings attached. Think of your neighbors.”

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