16 Injured After Explosion At FBI Training Facility In California

An explosion at an FBI training facility in Irvine, California on Wednesday injured 16 sheriff’s department and SWAT officers, authorities have said.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Department (OCSD) SWAT team was conducting an annual training exercise with the department’s bomb squad at the Jerry Crowe Regional Tactical Training Facility when the incident occurred, OCSD Sergeant Frank Gonzalez told Fox News. The facility is operated by the FBI.

The explosion occurred indoors just before 1 p.m. local time, Gonzalez said. A total of 16 SWAT officers were injured in the blast, including one officer who sustained a leg injury that required surgery, but was not life-threatening. Another person sustained an injury to the back while another suffered a leg wound, though surgery was not required in either case.

An additional 13 people were transported to area hospitals after reporting dizziness and ringing in their ears. Of those 13, the majority were treated and released, Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez added that the FBI did not have anything to do with the explosion, as they were merely providing a training facility for the department’s teams.

Footage from the scene showed investigators combing the area in protective suits as they examined a large, red robot positioned outside of that building. Debris could be seen near the entrance to the building.

The cause of the blast remains unclear, though authorities have launched an investigation into the events leading up to the incident.

“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,” the FBI said in a statement of its own.