Garbage truck explosion rocks suburb, injures three responders
Two police officers and one firefighter were injured due to a garbage truck explosion in the suburbs of Illinois. The causes of the incident are being determined, and the injured officers are recovering.
9:47 AM EST, December 12, 2024
According to local police, this dangerous incident occurred on Friday afternoon in Arlington Heights, Illinois, just north of Chicago. For reasons not yet entirely clear, there was an explosion and subsequent fire involving the garbage truck.
As a result of the explosion, the two police officers and a firefighter who responded to the scene were struck by debris from the truck. Suffering from concussions, they were taken to the hospital for treatment.
Footage released by the police shows flames and smoke, with debris and parts of the vehicle scattered around the area. The explosion's force was so great that sections of roofs and facade plaster fell from nearby houses, and windows shattered in many buildings. The windshield of the fire truck was also torn out. Parts of the truck were found several blocks away. As noted by American media, garbage 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," the police stated.
The police officers are slowly recovering, and the firefighter has already returned to duty.
