Officers were evacuating a 1-square-block area around the site of an explosion on the property of a Jewish religious facility in Santa Monica. No one was injured in the blast, which was reported about 6:45 a.m. Thursday and occurred in the 1400 block of 17th Street, said Sgt. Darrick Jacob, a watch commander with the Santa Monica Police Department.
Besides the evacuation zone, officers were diverting traffic in a larger area and bomb-sniffing dogs were on the scene to gather evidence and as a precaution in the event there were explosive devices in the vicinity, Jacob said.
Santa Monica police had at least 30 personnel on scene. The bomb squad of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department was also taking part in the investigation and the local fire department was standing by.
Explosion near Santa Monica synagogue due to mechanical failure
SANTA MONICA (KABC) -- Police say an explosion near Santa Monica aynagogue was caused by some type of mechanical failure and not any type of bomb.
Authorities from the Santa Monica and LAPD bomb squad remain at the scene.
The blast was reported about 6:45 a.m. in the 1400 block of 18th Street, according to the Santa Monica Police Department.
A hole was seen in the roof of a home with a long cylinder poking through it. The home is next door to the Chabad House Lubavitch of Santa Monica, a meeting center for the Jewish movement, about a block away from Santa Monica Synagogue.
Some windows were blown out, but no injuries were reported. About 100 people were evacuated from nearby homes.