Los Angeles Fireworks explosion: 16 wounded as citywide alert issued after fiery blast

16 people have been injured when something went ‘catastrophically wrong’ as a bomb squad completed a planned detonation of seized fireworks.

The fiery blast, which took place in South Los Angeles, saw a truck explode and be engulfed in flames as nearby cars were rocked and pushed out of the way through the severe pressure.

Los Angeles Police Department confirmed that officers were in the process of seizing 5,000 lbs of illegally obtained fireworks in the area of 27th Street and San Pedro.

Six civilians and ten officers have now been confirmed as wounded, according to fire crews. Three civilians are in serious condition, with the rest of those wounded suffering from minor injuries.

LAPD tweeted shortly before 5am: “Our Bomb Squad officers were in the process of seizing over 5,000 pounds of illegal fireworks in the area of 27th Street and San Pedro. Some of the fireworks were being stored in our Bomb Squad trailer as a precautionary measure.

“Unknown at this time what caused an explosion.”

However, reporters at the scene claim before the explosion officers moved them away and yelled “Fire in the hole”, multiple times.

One journalist said it went “catastrophically wrong.”

“When we got over the scene here, we were kind of expecting just some routine thing and to kind of get the shot that was gonna be the bookend to this story of basically this armored canister probably shaking a little bit and smoke coming out at the end of it,” Sky9 reporter Desmond Shaw told CBS news.

“And then it just went catastrophically wrong. After it happened, we felt the blast up here, and it just kind of shook up my head a little bit.”

Earlier in the day, the LAPD had received a tip-off regarding illegal fireworks at a home in the street.

When cops arrived, they found two children and around 5,000 pounds of fireworks.

One man was taken into custody on suspicion of possession of destructive devices, possession of fireworks, and child endangerment, authorities say.

The moment the explosion took place was caught on camera by one reporter, whose hand shakes due to the sheer force of the blast.

The truck, which is sitting behind crime scene tape, is sitting in the middle of the road.

Then a large explosion erupts, sending orange and yellow flames into the sky and large amounts of smoke begin to billow into the air.

Aerial shots of the aftermath show nearby vehicles have been severely damaged and debris is lying across the street.

The bomb squad, as well as investigators, were at the scene before the explosion as officers loaded pallets full of explosives into a semi-truck in the alleyway behind the home.

The Los Angeles Fire Department initially reported nine people were injured and being evaluated, however, reporters at the scene have claimed 16 were hurt.

Their conditions are currently unknown.

It is unclear when people will be allowed back into their homes.