By Micheal Chukwuebuka, Reporting
A truck with pressurized cylinders that were on fire exploded early Thursday, injuring nine Los Angeles firefighters.
Stonix News reports that two firefighters, with life-threatening conditions, are among the injured officials in the explosion that occurred shortly before 7 a.m. in the Wilmington area.
According to news stations, two 100-gallon compressed natural gas tanks were on the truck.
“The unique aspect of this vehicle is that it’s not run on diesel or gasoline, but it is actually propelled with CNG, or compressed natural gas.
“The explosion was significant. The ball of flame was as high as these telephone poles,” fire Capt. Erik Scott told our source, NBC News in Los Angeles.
A total of 10 firefighters had been dispatched to the incident.
During an interview, fire department spokesperson Nicholas Prange said he did not know the status of the truck driver, but he noted that the blast occured 13 minutes after the fire was reported, adding that the cylinders may have contained compressed natural gas.
Wilmington is 18 miles south of downtown, near the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
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