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At least 17 people were injured after a bomb disposal squad tried to safely detonate 5000lbs of illegal fireworks – causing a massive explosion.

The violent blast rocked a neighborhood in south Los Angeles, California, on Wednesday evening; damaging cars, nearby homes and leaving more than a dozen people needing treatment in hospital.

The explosion happened after officials seized the 2.5 tonnes of illegal fireworks from a home. As a Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) bomb disposal vehicle tried to remove the fireworks from the scene the fireworks blew up – completely destroying the truck.

Nine LAPD officers were injured along with seven civilians and one Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives officer.

It’s not yet known what exactly caused the explosion, reports KABC.

According to LAPD chief Michel Moore, officers seized the illegal commercial-grade fireworks earlier in the day and were about to move them to an offsite location.

During the seizure 40 coke-can-sized improvised explosive devices with fuses and 200 additional smaller devices were found.

Once seized the fireworks were transferred to a ‘total containment vehicle’ with an iron chamber, which is designed to house explosive material that can be safely detonated.

When the items were detonated, Moore said there was a ‘total catastrophic failure of that containment vehicle’.

‘Clearly protocols were followed and pursued, but something happened in that containment vehicle that should have not happened and we don’t know why, but we intend to find out why’, Moore explained.

Meanwhile Los Angeles mayor, Eric Garcetti, said in a statement that he is ‘closely monitoring the situation’ and is ‘deeply concerned for those who were injured’.

Garcetti said: ‘I’ve directed the LAPD to conduct a full investigation into this incident, so we can better understand why this happened.

‘Illegal fireworks pose a great danger and can cost lives.

‘We will prosecute those who use or possess them to the fullest extent of the law.’

Speaking to Eyewitness News a nearby resident, Maricela Cortes, said she could feel the blast from inside her home.

She said: ‘I was asleep when I felt like the whole bed was shaking. It felt like a really hard earthquake. It sounded huge.

‘Everybody started running, and I couldn’t find my mom… Everybody was screaming, going crazy.’

Arturo Cejas was arrested during the raid on suspicion of possessing fireworks and destructive devices and also on suspicion of child endangerment because his 10-year-old brother was found at the home, LAPD chief Moore added.

He said: ‘We understand that this explosive material was acquired out of state and transported here for the purposes of reselling it to community members and neighbors.’

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