Los Angeles Port terminal evacuated after explosion inside shipping container

ByABC7.com staff KABC logo
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
LA Port terminal evacuated after explosion inside shipping container
A terminal at the Port of Los Angeles was evacuated after an explosion was reported from inside a shipping container, but authorities said there was no indication of terrorism involved.

SAN PEDRO, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Los Angeles authorities responded to an explosion from inside a shipping container at the Port of Los Angeles on Tuesday.

No injuries or other property damage were reported and police have no indication the explosion has any connection to terrorism.

Police later said the explosion was apparently caused by combustion of scrap metals and it is being treated as an industrial accident. The scrap metal was designated for export out of the country.

The explosion was reported around 6 p.m. near the base of the Vincent Thomas Bridge.

The Evergreen Terminal at the port was evacuated as authorities investigated. About 100 port employees were part of the evacuation.

Some roads in the area of the explosion were also closed.

The Los Angeles Police Department Bomb Squad assisted with the investigation.

The six other terminals at the port were not evacuated and were operating normally.