A deadly explosion tore through a medical building in Palm Springs late Saturday morning, killing at least one person, injuring five, and shattering the calm of this typically serene desert resort town.
The blast, which occurred just after 11 a.m. local time near the American Reproductive Centers fertility clinic, blew out windows, collapsed part of a roof and scattered debris across four lanes of traffic and sidewalks, prompting swift lockdowns and a full emergency response.
Authorities have yet to determine what caused the explosion, but law enforcement sources told ABC7 and the Associated Press (AP) it may have involved a vehicle in the clinic’s parking lot.
A burned-out car, reduced to twisted metal and a smoldering axle, was captured in aerial footage from the scene. One suspect is believed to have died in the explosion, though officials have not confirmed identities or motives.
“This is a very serious situation,” said Palm Springs Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein, who urged residents to steer clear of the area surrounding North Indian Canyon Drive and East Tachevah Drive while investigations continued.
The FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) joined local law enforcement and emergency crews at the scene. Federal officials confirmed they are examining whether the explosion was intentional.
Dr. Maher Abdallah, director of the American Reproductive Centers, said his staff escaped unharmed and no patients were in the building at the time. He confirmed that while the administrative section of the clinic was heavily damaged, the IVF lab and stored embryos were untouched.
"Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients," Abdallah said. "I really have no clue what happened."
Witnesses described the shockwave as sudden and intense. Rhino Williams, a 47-year-old restaurant manager at the nearby Skylark Hotel, said he heard a massive boom that rattled the walls. Drawing on his aviation background, he sprinted toward the smoke plume, fearing a helicopter crash.
Instead, Williams found the building blown open, bricks littering the street and a scorched vehicle ablaze in the lot. "It smelled like burning plastic and rubber," he said. “I looked inside, shouted to see if anyone was there – but there was no response.”
Next door, windows at a liquor store had been shattered. Across the street, 37-year-old Nima Tabrizi, visiting from Santa Monica, said he was inside a cannabis dispensary when the ground shook beneath him.
"The building just shook. We went outside and saw a huge cloud of smoke,” Tabrizi said. “It felt like a bomb went off. We went up to the scene and... we saw human remains.”
The blast’s impact could reportedly be felt up to two miles away, rattling homes and nerves across the upscale desert enclave known for its mid-century charm, celebrity ties, and luxury retreats.
