Investigators respond to scene of an explosion rocking Palm Springs, Calif.
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Officials in California say police and firefighters are responding to an explosion that rocked the city of Palm Springs.
The city of Palm Springs said Saturday in a social medial post that the explosion happened at 11 a.m. local time and that residents were being asked to avoid the area around North Indian Canyon Drive near East Tachevah Drive.
Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are on their way to the scene to help assess what happened, according to spokesperson Nicole Lozano.
Dr. Maher Abdallah, who runs the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic where the explosion occurred, told The Associated Press in a phone interview that all of his staff were safe and accounted for.
The explosion damaged the practice’s office space, where it conducts consultations with patients, but left the IVF lab and all of the stored embryos there unharmed.
“I really have no clue what happened,” Abdallah said. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients.”
Nima Tabrizi, 37, of Santa Monica, said he was inside a cannabis dispensary nearby when he felt a massive explosion.
“The building just shook, and we go outside and there’s massive cloud smoke,” Tabrizi said. “Crazy explosion. It felt like a bomb went off. … We went up to the scene, and we saw human remains.”
Palm Springs is a tony community in the desert about a two-hour drive east of Los Angeles, known for upscale resorts and a history of celebrity residents.
Trump says he disagrees with Starmer’s decision to recognize Palestinian state
President Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer talked about foreign affairs privately for about an hour, including the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.
Care close to home: how a rural doctor meets medical needs in Alabama’s countryside
Doctors are harder to come by in rural Alabama than in big cities. That’s why Cahaba Medical Care developed a residency program that both trains and then hires doctors in rural clinics.
Federal judge orders Jefferson County to redraw racially gerrymandered districts
U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala ruled the county map was unconstitutional because race was the predominant factor when the Jefferson County Commission drew districts.
To save its unique and rare birds, New Zealand is turning to AI and genetic research
New Zealand is planning to eradicate millions of invasive animals that prey on the country's rare birds. The goal may not be possible, unless new technology can be developed to do it.
Why beef prices are higher than ever (and shoppers are finally resisting)
American ranchers are raising the fewest cows in decades. Through the price increases, American shoppers have stayed loyal to their love of burgers and steaks — until now.
What does the Google antitrust ruling mean for the future of AI?
A federal judge's mild ruling in the Justice Department's suit over Google's search engine monopoly has critics worried that the tech giant can now monopolize artificial intelligence.