At least one person was killed in an explosion Saturday morning near a fertility clinic in Palm Springs, California, authorities said.
Palm Springs city officials said in a Facebook post that the blast occurred just before 11 a.m. local time at North Indian Canyon Drive, near East Tachevah Drive, a stretch which has several healthcare facilities.
Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills wrote on his Facebook page that one person was killed in an explosion that “appears to be an intentional act of violence.” The victim has not been identified.
Mills said that the blast field extended several blocks and severely damaged some nearby buildings.
American Reproductive Centers, an IVF clinic, said in its own Facebook post that a “vehicle exploded in the parking lot near our building.”
Nima Tabrizi via AP 
The clinic said several people were injured in the explosion, but officials have not confirmed that. It added that no clinic employees were injured in the blast.
“Our lab—including all eggs, embryos, and reproductive materials—remains fully secure and undamaged,” the clinic also wrote.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office issued a statement saying that he had been “briefed on the explosion at a health facility in Palm Springs.”
“I’ve been briefed on the explosion near a fertility clinic in Palm Springs,” Newsom wrote on X. “Jen and I are keeping everyone affected in our hearts. The state is working closely with local and federal authorities as the investigation unfolds. Please avoid the area.”
An FBI spokesperson told CBS News in an email that it was “responding with our partners with investigators, bomb techs and ERT.”
A spokesperson for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives also told CBS News by email it was “aware of the situation and enroute to assist our State and local counterparts.”
Bill Essayli, U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, wrote in a post to X that the Justice Department was “aware of the explosion that occurred this morning in Palm Springs. FBI is on scene and will be investigating whether this was an intentional act.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
