Garbage truck blast injures responders in arlington heights
Two police officers and a firefighter were injured due to a garbage truck explosion in the suburbs of Illinois. The causes of the incident are being investigated, and the injured officers are recovering.
According to local police, this dangerous incident occurred on Friday afternoon in Arlington Heights, Illinois, north of Chicago. For reasons not entirely clear, there was an explosion and a fire involving the garbage truck.
As a result of the explosion, two police officers and a firefighter who responded to the scene were hit by shrapnel from the garbage truck. The injured, suffering from concussions, were taken to the hospital.
In recordings provided by the police, flames and smoke can be seen, with debris and parts of the vehicle scattered around the area. The impact force was so powerful that fragments of roofs and facade plaster fell off nearby houses, and windows were blown out in many buildings. The windshield of the fire truck was also torn off. Parts of the truck were found several blocks away. The garbage, as noted by American media, was everywhere.
"The cause of the fire and explosion is under investigation, with the working theory being uncontrolled combustion in a garbage truck hopper, igniting Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) tanks," stated the police.
The police officers are slowly recovering, and the firefighter has already returned to duty.
