16 SWAT members injured after explosion at FBI training facility in Irvine
IRVINE, Calif. (KABC) -- Sixteen members of the Orange County Sheriff's Department SWAT team were hospitalized following an explosion during an indoor training exercise in Irvine Wednesday afternoon, according to authorities.
The Sheriff's Department said one person suffered a leg injury and will need surgery, while two others had superficial wounds that won't require surgery. The remaining 13 had dizziness and ringing in their ears.
The incident happened shortly before 1 p.m. at an FBI training facility at Irvine Boulevard and Magazine Road.
It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion. At the time, the SWAT team was conducting a joint training with the sheriff's Hazardous Devices Section.
Most of the SWAT members have been released from the hospital, sheriff's Sgt. Frank Gonzalez said. He added that the FBI was not involved in the training.
No FBI personnel were injured, said bureau spokesperson Laura Eimiller.
The facility hosts firearms training and qualifications tests for the FBI and local law enforcement agencies, Eimiller said.
The FBI and the Sheriff's Department will investigate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
