Blast sounds near LA Jewish institutions; no injuries

Suspected pipe bomb explodes on roof of Chabad House in LA area; FBI, local bomb squads on scene; worshipers "didn't hear, feel anything."

By JORDANA HORN, JPOST CORRESPONDENT
Chabad House Santa Monica 311 (photo credit: Google Maps)
Chabad House Santa Monica 311
(photo credit: Google Maps)
NEW YORK –  Santa Monica, California police reported an explosion on the roof of a Lubavitch Chabad House, and a block away from a Reform temple, early Thursday morning.  There were no immediate reports of injuries, and approximately 100 people were evacuated from within a four-block radius of the area.
Police reported that some kind of device hit the roof of the Chabad House building and exploded at about 6:45 a.m. Thursday. The Reform Santa Monica Synagogue is about a block away.
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Police were unclear as to whether the blast was inside or outside of the building. FBI and Los Angeles County sheriff's bomb experts are currently investigating.
In response to news reports of a pipe bomb in the Chabad facility, the following was posted on the Santa Monica Chabad website Thursday morning:  “During morning services today, the police department came to Chabad House in response to a report of an explosion. The men that were praying did not hear or feel anything. Rabbi Levitansky grabbed one of the new Torah scrolls so they can finish services which they did at the corner of 17th and S. Monica.”