Officers were evacuating a 1-square-block area around the site of an explosion on the property of a Jewish religious facility in Santa Monica. No one was injured in the blast, which was reported about 6:45 a.m. Thursday and occurred in the 1400 block of 17th Street, said Sgt. Darrick Jacob, a watch commander with the Santa Monica Police Department.
Besides the evacuation zone, officers were diverting traffic in a larger area and bomb-sniffing dogs were on the scene to gather evidence and as a precaution in the event there were explosive devices in the vicinity, Jacob said.
Santa Monica police had at least 30 personnel on scene. The bomb squad of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was also taking part in the investigation and the local fire department was standing by.
At this time police do not consider the explosion to be a bomb. The local Chabad website wrote that the blast was caused by construction combustibles in a dumpster:
“In response to news reports of a pipe bomb in our facility,” the website says. “During morning services today the police department came to Chabad House in response to a report of an explosion. The men that were praying did not hear or feel anything. Rabbi Levitansky grabbed one of the new Torah scrolls so they [could] finish services. Which they did at the corner of 17th and S. Monica.”
“The explosion was from a dumpster where someone trashed some construction combustibles,” the website explained. ”It exploded and landed on our neighbor’s roof. We do not know who placed the construction trash there.”
A police spokesperson has since attributed the blast to “mechanical failure.”
What do you think?
2:06 pm
Uh, way to jump to conclusions people. It was just a ruptured main line. We should really get the facts before we start calling everything Terror, and blaming muslims already. It cheapens the word, in my opinion.
1:37 pm
I agree we should get the facts and not be like the bias media who typically casts Israel and our people as the guilty ones without getting the facts straight first. Besides, our holy law condemns this type of judgment (which was used against Jesus, by the way). Righteous judgment, tempered with mercy is what G-d requires of those who would be his children or like him.
1:00 pm
this is aweful
12:53 pm
So was it the radical Islamists who perpretrated such an evil event? watch out America, you’re not as safe as you think you are!!!
1:15 pm
We all ready know where not safe Jean ! but thanks for the warning
12:42 pm
I think Chabad is a great organization that has helped people of all faiths over the years and that the perpetrators should be punished severely. Unfortunately, there are always terroristic people running around free.