11 hurt in explosion at Los Angeles-area building

An injured worker is moved toward a waiting ambulance after an explosion was reported at a business in La Habra, Calif., on Tuesday. Authorities say eight people have been hurt, three critically, in the explosion and fire.
An injured worker is moved toward a waiting ambulance after an explosion was reported at a business in La Habra, Calif., on Tuesday. Authorities say eight people have been hurt, three critically, in the explosion and fire.

LA HABRA, Calif. (AP) - An explosion and fire possibly caused by a dust buildup at a Southern California metal-polishing shop injured 11 people Tuesday, including two men who were critically burned, fire officials said.

The blast occurred in an overhead duct system shortly before 10 a.m. in an industrial area of La Habra, a Los Angeles suburb. It took more than 50 firefighters about 40 minutes to douse the resulting fire.

TV news reports showed workers with blackened faces and hands outside the plant, which was identified on a company website as Gorilla's Polishing Corp. It is part of Gorilla's Chrome, Inc., which plates and polishes metal, particularly car wheels.

Mike Bremer, an operations manager at the neighboring VIP Rubber Co., told the Orange County Register that he felt the explosion in his office.

"It made my heart jump up into my throat," Bremer said.

"This felt like a bomb going off," Bremer said. "It was one big, loud explosion and a steam sound after that."

Bremer ran outside and saw about 20 to 30 employees from Gorilla's Polishing standing outside the burning building.

"It was chaotic. A couple of people I saw were burned, badly burned," he said. "They had their shirts off."

The blast and fire injured 11 people, including two men who were burned and taken to hospitals in critical condition, while most of the others suffered smoke inhalation, Miller said.

A preliminary investigation suggested lint and dust in a duct system caused the explosion, Miller said.

Employee David Lopez, 32, told the Register that the employees were polishing tire rims at the time of the explosion.

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11 injured in explosion at commercial building in La Habra