On Saturday morning, May 17th, a powerful explosion rocked Palm Springs, California, sending shockwaves through the downtown area and causing damage to multiple commercial buildings. Debris littered the streets in the aftermath of the explosion, the cause of which is still under investigation.
According to the Palm Springs city government, the explosion occurred just before 11 a.m. in the vicinity of North Indian Canyon Drive and East Tachevah Drive. Local authorities and emergency services have arrived at the scene to manage the situation and have urged people to avoid the affected area.
Videos and photos circulating on social media show shattered windows in multiple storefronts and damaged buildings. Residents reported feeling the intense vibrations of the explosion several miles away.
Reports from law enforcement indicated that multiple emergency medical calls and burglary warnings were issued in the 1100 block of N Palm Canyon Drive when the explosion took place.
An unnamed law enforcement official familiar with the investigation informed NBC News that the explosion involved a car in Palm Springs, resulting in one fatality.
“It was a massive explosion,” the source described. The identity of the deceased individual and their connection to the explosion remains unclear.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the explosion, which his office stated occurred at a medical facility in Palm Springs.
As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the explosion is suspected to be linked to a vehicle parked near a reproductive health clinic. The clinic, known as the Palm Springs branch of the American Reproductive Centers, is the first in the Coachella Valley to offer comprehensive fertility services and in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments.
At present, there is no conclusive information on the possible motives behind the incident, including whether the fertility clinic was targeted in the attack. Firefighters were seen on social media videos dragging hoses into the building for containment purposes.
Services offered by the clinic include LGBTQ family fertility options, egg donation and freezing, and embryo transfer procedures.
Authorities such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the California Highway Patrol, the Desert Regional Medical Center, and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office have not yet released public statements regarding the incident.
(This article is based on reports from Fox News and NBC.)