Deadly California Building Explosion Being Investigated as Intentional

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Federal and local investigators searched through debris, looking for remnants of a possible explosive device, after a blast at a Southern California medical office building that left a woman dead and three other people injured. The explosion happened around 1 p.m. Tuesday in Aliso Viejo, about 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) south of Los Angeles. Investigators worked through the night and remained at the scene Wednesday morning, said Orange County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Carrie Braun. Firefighters and sheriff's deputies escort children from Academy on the Hill pre-k school in Aliso Viejo, Calif., on Tuesday, May 15, 2018, after a fatal explosion nearby. The blast involved a building under renovation but the cause was not immediately known, according to authorities. (Mindy Schauer/The Orange County Register/SCNG via AP) The blast blew siding off the walls, exposing insulation and framing and shattering windows at the two-story building that houses medical offices. "The corner of that building, the whole bottom floor is pretty much blown out," said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Tony Bommarito. The cause of the blast remained a mystery for much of the day, with officials initially believing a car had smashed into the building. But sheriff's officials said the size of the blast made it suspicious. A federal official told The Associated Press late Tuesday that the explosion was believed to be an intentional act and the blast may have come f...
Source: JEMS: Journal of Emergency Medical Services News - Category: Emergency Medicine Authors: Tags: Major Incidents News Source Type: news