(Reuters) – nA bomb exploded near a reproductive health facility in Palm Springs, California on Saturday, killing one person, the city’s mayor said.
The bomb was either in or near a car parked outside of the clinic when it exploded, Mayor Ron deHarte said.
Palm Springs Fire Chief Paul Alvarado said no suspect had been identified.
Authorities have not commented on a possible motive, and deHarte said he could not confirm if the person who died is a suspect.
“It does appear to be an intentional act of violence,” he said.
The FBI in Los Angeles said in a social media post that it was investigating the explosion, with bomb technicians deployed to the scene.
ABC News, citing law enforcement sources and the facility, which was operated by American Reproductive Centers, said at least five people were injured in the explosion.
Palm Springs is about 100 miles east of Los Angeles.
The Palm Springs city government said in a Facebook post that an explosion occurred before 11 a.m. PDT.
Photos posted online showed the single-story structure that houses the clinic after the explosion. The bomb appeared to have ripped a gaping hole in one of its walls, leaving a pile of mangled debris spilling into the street. Tiles on its roof were dislodged or missing.
Alvarado said several other buildings in the area were damaged, some extensively.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the explosion, his office said.
American Reproductive Centers, which has offices in at least three California cities, provides services including in vitro fertilization, genetic testing and in-house egg donation.
Despite damage to the building, ARC said the facility will be fully operational on Monday.
The clinic’s laboratory, including all eggs, embryos and reproductive materials, was safe and secure, and all members of staff were unharmed, it said in a Facebook post.
“The moment has shaken us – but it has not stopped us,” Dr. Maher Abdallah, who runs the clinic, said in the post.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward and Timothy Gardner; Writing by Richard Cowan; Editing by Frank McGurty, Rod Nickel and Sandra Maler)
Comments