Something, possibly a propane tank that was being transported, exploded inside a box truck Friday afternoon in Boyle Heights, but no injuries were immediately reported and police said the blast appeared to be the result of an accident.
The blast, reported about 5:45 p.m., destroyed the truck and left debris scattered throughout the 2700 block of East Olympic Boulevard, near Soto Street, according to Amy Bastman of the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The truck's driver managed to steer what was left of the vehicle, which had a second man inside, into a gas station which was evacuated as a precaution, Bastman said.
Some of the debris from the truck ended up on top of at least one other vehicle, according to reports from the scene. Investigators interviewed the two men who were inside the truck, and a bomb squad was dispatched although there was no indication the blast was connected to terrorism or any intentional act, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
"At this time, all evidence points to this being an accident," police said. Street closures in the area were expected to last for several hours as the investigation into the cause of the blast continued.
