An SUV parked in a Van Nuys parking lot suddenly exploded Thursday night after the driver lit a cigarette next to a propane gas tank that was stored inside the vehicle.
According to police, firefighters and police responded to the supermarket parking lot in the 7200 block of Van Nuys Boulevard after receiving a report of an SUV exploding around 10:30 p.m. When emergency personnel arrived, a man inside the vehicle said he had been trying to light a cigarette when the explosion occurred.
He suffered minor injuries and was taken to a nearby hospital, according to Los Angeles Police.
Officials determined it was a propane gas explosion.
Pieces of the parked car were sent flying in all directions, one of which got lodged in a nearby tree. The blast nearly blew the Toyota SUV into pieces. A man who lives around the corner from the parking lot said he heard the explosion from at least several blocks away. “It sounded like an earthquake, the windows were shaking,” he said.
“But as quickly as it started, it was gone,” Ken Smith said, adding that he looked out his window and saw neighbors standing outside their homes looking around after hearing a loud explosion.
The Los Angeles Police Department closed off the parking lot after the explosion.
Authorities did not release any other details.
