Sixteen people were injured during an explosion at an FBI training facility in the Southern California city of Irvine Wednesday, officials said.
Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputies were using the facility on Magazine Road when the incident occurred a little before 1 p.m., a department spokesperson told CBS Los Angeles.
Thirteen of the injuries were related to the noise of the blast, resulting in the victims suffering from dizziness and ear pain, the sheriff’s department said.
Two of the injuries were to victim’s legs, one of whom will require surgery. Another person suffered a back injury but will not require surgery, the sheriff’s spokesperson said.
Fifteen of the victims were taken to nearby hospitals by Orange County Fire Authority paramedics, while one person self-transported, the sheriff’s department said.
The incident occurred during a joint training exercise between the OCSD’s Bomb Squad and SWAT teams, the sheriff’s spokesperson said, and the explosion happened inside of a small building on the FBI property.
The FBI is now leading the investigation.
“A training incident that occurred today at the FBI’s training facility in Irvine with law enforcement partners resulted in some injuries and is under investigation,” said a statement from the FBI.
SkyCal was overhead as investigators scoured the scene, several of which could be seen wearing what looked like protective suits as they examined what looked like a bunker and some sort of robotic equipment.
This is a developing story. Check back for details.
