Nine people were injured after an enormous stockpile of illicit fireworks erupted in a violent blast in South LA, following a police raid that seized thousands of pounds of pyrotechnics from a black market seller.
The explosion occurred on Wednesday night during a botched disposal operation, after LA police confiscated around 5,000 pounds in hand-made fireworks from a suspect earlier in the afternoon. Nine were wounded in the blast, according to the LA Fire Department, though their condition was not immediately clear.
Local media outlets and at least one bystander captured the incident on video, showing an armored box containing the fireworks as it erupted, destroying both the container and the flatbed truck that was carrying it. Nearby cars – including one that was knocked onto its side – homes and other buildings also sustained significant damage.
WATCH: Sky9 was overhead when police attempted to detonate a stash of illegal fireworks that ended in an explosion in the 700 block of East 27th Street in South L.A. https://t.co/KpWiAEoyqv pic.twitter.com/UbIXLDoZjh
— CBS Los Angeles (@CBSLA) July 1, 2021
Video: The moment a truck carrying illegal fireworks, which was confiscated by the LAPD, exploded in South Los Angeles. At least 9 people were injured and multiple buildings were damaged. pic.twitter.com/Scx8BswqlQ
— PM Breaking News (@PMBreakingNews) July 1, 2021
While the exact cause of the blast remains unclear, police said the fireworks were placed in the armored container as a precaution after they were seized from a 24-year-old suspect. The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing fireworks and destructive devices, as well as child endangerment, according to KTLA.
#California:An Explosion rocks South #LosAngeles neighborhood after illegal fireworks seized, blowing out windows of nearby homes and damaging cars.
— Wᵒˡᵛᵉʳᶤᶰᵉ Uᵖᵈᵃᵗᵉˢ𖤐 (@W0lverineupdate) July 1, 2021
pic.twitter.com/Lr8lQUF8L5
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