An explosion reportedly felt more than two miles away left at least one person dead in Palm Springs on Saturday and severely damaged several buildings, including a fertility clinic.
The Palm Springs city government said in a statement that the blast occurred just before 11 a.m. on North Indian Canyon Drive near East Tachevah Drive.
Photos from the scene showed extensive damage to American Reproductive Centers, a fertility clinic and in vitro fertilization lab across the street from Desert Regional Medical Center.
Palm Springs Mayor Ron DeHarte told The Times via text message he could “confirm it was a bomb in or near a vehicle parked at the building. One deceased.”
The Desert Sun newspaper reported that Palm Springs Police Lt. William Hutchinson said the explosion appeared to involve a car parked in front of American Reproductive Centers.
One witness told the newspaper that he saw body parts and car parts when he walked past the clinic five minutes after the blast.
The phone line to the clinic was out of service Saturday afternoon.
The city of Palm Springs requested that residents stay away from the scene so emergency crews could work unimpeded.
American Reproductive Centers is “Coachella Valley’s first and only full-service fertility center and IVF lab,” led by board-certified physician Maher A. Abdallah, according to its website.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a social media post that his office had been briefed on the explosion and “is coordinating with local and federal authorities to support the response.”
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