Torrance apartment building gas line explosion, 4 people injured

Three people were hospitalized with significant injuries and a fourth person had minor injuries after an explosion at a two-story apartment building in Torrance on Sunday, April 8, authorities said.

The Torrance Fire Department was called out to the 23500 block of Anza Avenue near 236th Street for an explosion at about 1:18 p.m. When firefighters arrived on scene, they found a residential apartment complex with major damage to two units and minor damages to adjoining units, said Steve Treskes, assistant fire chief.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many other units had minor damages, or how many total units are in the building.

Four people were injured and treated on scene by Torrance Fire Department paramedics. Three were transported to a local hospital, Treskes said.

Gas Company officials were called on to investigate and were confident the blast was a natural gas explosion, Treskes said. Arson and fire investigators late Sunday were still investigating what led up to the explosion.

The fire department’s Hazardous Materials Team performed air sampling and continuous monitoring on scene, Treskes said.

It wasn’t immediately known if other units in the building were evacuated during the investigation.

Anza Avenue was closed in both directions while investigators worked the scene, but was reopened about 3:40 p.m., the department said in a social media post.