Palm Springs Blast: 10 facts on explosion near US fertility clinic

Apart from one death, at least five people were injured in the blast, ABC News reported citing law enforcement sources and the facility.

A bomb blast outside a fertility clinic in California’s upscale Palm Springs locality left one person dead on Saturday. The clinic, called American Reproductive Centre, suffered severe damage during the blast, so much so that its roof collapsed.

The blast ripped through the locality, damaging the doors and windows of the nearby buildings as well

The identity of the person killed in the blast is not yet known.

Here’s what the police know about the blast:

After the blast, local police, along with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Los Angeles unit, swung into action to probe what had really happened. The FBI said that assets such as “investigators, bomb technicians & an evidence response team” are being deployed.
The explosion is being investigated as a possible car blast. Ron deHarte, Palm Springs Mayor, told AFP that the investigators had “confirmed a bomb exploded in or near a vehicle.”
The clinic also said that “a vehicle exploded in the parking lot near our building,” the AFP report added.
Additionally, the blast is being seen as “intentional”, according to Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills. “The blast appears to be an intentional act of violence,” Mills said, adding that “the blast extends for blocks with several buildings damaged, some severely.”
“There has been one fatality, the person’s identity is not known,” he added.
The person who died in the blast is believed to be the suspect who set it off, an official told AP on condition of anonymity. However, it remains unconfirmed as the probe is still fresh.
Apart from one death, at least five people were injured in the blast, ABC News reported, citing law enforcement sources and the facility.
The blast reportedly happened at around 11 am local time on North Indian Canyon Drive near East Tachevah Drive.
According to the clinic, while the building suffered damage due to the blast, the staff remains unharmed. Also, its IVF lab “including all eggs, embryos, and reproductive materials — remains fully secure and undamaged,” reported AFP.
Dr. Maher Abdallah, who runs the clinic, told AP that the office area where consultations with patients were held was damaged, but the lab remains secure.