LOS ANGELES â One person is dead after a car exploded in Palm Springs, California, at 11 a.m., a law enforcement source familiar with the investigation said.
“This was a powerful explosion,” the source said, describing a very large debris field and damage to multiple businesses nearby.
The identity of the deceased person and their involvement in the explosion is not yet clear.
Five people were injured, two law enforcement sources familiar with the investigation told NBC News. The nature and seriousness of the injuries were not disclosed.
There is no information yet on a possible motive, including whether a nearby fertility clinic was targeted.
The FBI’s Los Angeles bureau said on X it is responding to the explosion, with investigators, bomb technicians and an evidence response team on scene. The Los Angeles Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is assisting in the investigation, the bureau said on X.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the explosion, which his press office said occurred at a health facility in Palm Springs.
Videos posted to social media and verified by NBC News captured the force of the blast. Multiple businesses had their windows blown out and sustained other structural damage. Firefighters were seen in the videos dragging hoses into buildings.
Social media also showed clouds of smoke rising from the area, appearing to center around the health facility where the explosion occurred.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.