Explosion injures 16 Orange County SWAT officers during training exercise

Darryl Coote
·1 min read
1
UPI
More than 15 members of the Orange County Sheriff's Department SWAT team were injured Wednesday in an explosion that occurred during a training exercise. Photo courtesy of Orange County Sheriff's Department/Facebook

March 13 (UPI) -- Sixteen Orange County SWAT team officers were injured Wednesday when an explosion occurred during a training exercise in Irvine, Calif., authorities said.

The explosion occurred indoors at the FBI Special Agent Jerry Crow Regional Tactical Training Facility during annual joint training between the Orange County Sheriff's SWAT and Hazardous Devices Section, the sheriff's department said in a statement.

Of the injured, all but one were transported to local hospitals by ambulances with the other being able to reach a medical center on their own.

The sheriff's office said one SWAT member suffered a non-life threatening leg injury that requires surgery, another suffered a superficial leg injury and a third incurred a superficial back injury.

The remaining 13 members reported dizziness and ringing in their ears, the sheriff's office said.

The cause of the explosion was unclear.

The incident is being investigated by the Orange County Sheriff's Department in coordination with the FBI, according to authorities.