- By Ajeet Kumar
- Fri, 18 Jul 2025 09:55 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
US Attorney General Pam Bondi says at least three people are dead after an incident at a Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department facility. There was a reported explosion at the facility Friday morning. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has not confirmed any deaths. The US Attorney's Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office said he's been briefed on the matter.
🚨#BREAKING: Three people have sadly passed away after an apparent accidental explosion occurred at a Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department training facility
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) July 18, 2025
📌#LosAngeles | #California
At this time dozens of emergency crews are on the scene in East Los Angeles, California,… pic.twitter.com/Y84cCGEG4W
Los Angeles County Fire Department said it responded to calls about a possible explosion around 7.30 am. Newsom's office said it occurred at the LA County Sheriff's Special Operations Bureau in East Los Angeles. Aerial footage from KABC-TV shows the explosion happened in a parking lot filled with sheriff patrol cars and box trucks.
The City of L.A. is supporting the @LASDHQ through this horrific incident in Monterey Park.
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) July 18, 2025
LAFD/ATF arson investigators and members of the LAPD bomb squad are assisting at the training facility.
The thoughts of all Angelenos are with all of those impacted by this blast. https://t.co/sJ955YhslT
Second case in a month
Earlier in the first week of this month, seven people were missing after a fire and a powerful explosion levelled a commercial fireworks facility in rural northern California. Aerial footage from local news media showed the large warehouse-like building blown to pieces in an enormous, thundering fireball that rocked a wide area around the Yolo County community of Esparto, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Sacramento, the state capital.
The blast, belching out a pall of thick black smoke, was followed by a flurry of dozens of smaller explosions flashing in the sky over the site, apparently ignited by the inventory of pyrotechnics stored at the location. Flames spread from the explosion charred about 78 acres (32 hectares) of surrounding vegetation, according to Jason Clay, a spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
Two people injured in the "initial event" received medical treatment, and seven other individuals were missing, Curtis Lawrence, fire chief for the Esparto Fire Protection District, told reporters at a briefing on Wednesday, about 24 hours later.
(With inputs from agencies)
