Los Angeles – A person is dead after a car exploded in Palm Springs, California, in what the authorities said it was an “intentional act of violence.”
Five people were injured, said two sources of application of the law familiar with the investigation to NBC News. The nature and severity of the lesions was not revealed.
Several buildings were damaged, some severely, said Palm Springs police chief Andy Mills, on Facebook, noting that the “explosion field” stretched the blocks.
“This was a powerful explosion,” said a source of application of the law familiar with the investigation.
The identity of the deceased person and their participation in the explosion is not yet known. Mills said the incident seems to be isolated.
The explosion occurred in 1199 North Indian Canyon Dr., said Mills, around 11 am, according to the city. The street houses a series of medical facilities, including the Desert Regional Medical Center.
There is still no information about a possible motive, including whether a nearby fertility clinic He was attacked.
What seems to be the fertility clinic, American Reproductive Centers (ARC), said on Facebook that a car exploded in the parking lot near its building. No one who works in the center was harmed.
Mills urged residents to leave potential evidence and to call the police in a non -emergency number to inform it. The city of Palm Springs said residents must remain away from the area to allow emergency teams to do their job.
The ARC laboratory, which houses all eggs, embryos and reproductive materials, was not damaged, the clinic in social networks said.
“We are carrying out a complete security inspection and we have confirmed that our sensitive operations and areas were not affected by the explosion,” Arc said.
The clinic said it will be “totally operational” on Monday morning.
The FBI Los Angeles Office said in X that it is responding to the explosion, with researchers, bomb technicians and an evidence response team on the scene. Mills said the Palm Springs police department is working closely with the FBI.
The Los Angeles Office of the Office of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is helping in the investigation, said the office in X.
The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, has been informed about the explosion, said his office.
The United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi has also been informed about the incident, she said in X.
“We are working to learn more, but allow me to be clear: the Trump administration understands that women and mothers are the beat of America,” Bondi said. “Violence against a fertility clinic is unforgivable.”
The videos published on social networks and verified by NBC News captured the force of the explosion. Multiple businesses had their exploited windows and suffered another structural damage. Firefighters were seen in the videos dragging hoses to buildings.
The images on social networks also showed clouds of smoke that rose from the area, which seemed to focus on the health center where the explosion occurred.
This is a development story. Consult the updates again.
