WASHINGTON, Dec 5 — US police were investigating today after a major explosion tore through a home in the Washington suburbs a day earlier, authorities said, with social media footage showing a powerful blast that reduced the building to rubble.
A suspect inside the building at the time of the blast had fired a flare gun “30-40 times from inside his resident into the surrounding neighbourhood,” police in Arlington, Virginia, across the river from the US capital, said in a statement released early Tuesday.
Law enforcement were dispatched after receiving a report of the shots, and “attempted to make contact with the suspect over the telephone and through loudspeakers,” the statement said.
But the suspect did not respond and remained barricaded inside the home, it said.
“As officers were attempting to execute the search warrant, the suspect discharged several rounds, from what is believed to be a firearm, inside the home. Subsequently, at approximately 8.25pm, an explosion occurred at the residence.”
The investigation into what caused the blast is “ongoing,” the statement said, without making reference to the fate of the suspect. Three police officers reported minor injuries, and the fire was brought under control within two hours, it continued.
“I think it blew up the entire duplex,” a neighbour told local media outlet ARLnow. “I’m sure the family next door was evacuated before it blew up, but they lost their home.”
Residents in Arlington, in the state of Virginia across the Potomac River from Washington, were told to shelter in place by the local government.
“This is very, very scary, and my profound thanks go out to first responders working to secure the area and keep everyone safe,” Congressman Don Beyer, who represents the district, tweeted. — AFP
