Five law enforcement officers were injured in an explosion during a training exercise at a Pennsylvania prison on Thursday morning.
The blast occurred around 9:50 a.m. at SCI Phoenix prison in Skippack Township, about 30 miles northwest of Philadelphia, officials told WPVI-TV.
The explosive device detonated at the SCI Phoenix prison in Pennsylvania. WPVIThree members of the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad, a Pennsylvania State Police trooper and an FBI Philadelphia agent were injured in the incident, according to authorities.
All five officers were transported to area hospitals. Two medical helicopters responded to the blast site. WPVI
They were all taken to area hospitals. Their conditions are unclear.
A prison spokesperson said members of the MCSO Bomb Squad were setting up an explosive device to be used for a later class “when it prematurely exploded.”
Helicopter footage from the scene recorded by WPVI-TV showed a scorched vehicle in an open grass field. Two medical choppers and a number of police and fire officials were also seen.
Jackie Hickey, a retired bomb tech with the Los Angeles Police Department, told the outlet that reproducing a car bombing is a standard practice in explosion investigation training.
