Victims of Los Angeles explosion receive $21 million

The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday approved allocating more than $21 million in settlements for residents who were affected by the failed detonation of illegal fireworks by the police in 2021.

With 14 votes in favor and none against, the members of the council expressed their support for the agreements, which cover 19 plaintiffs, victims of the explosion that occurred in the block of East 27th Streetone block east of San Pedro Street, on June 30, 2021.

According to court documents, some of the victims received hundreds of thousands of dollars, while others received more than $1 million..

Keep reading: Los Angeles Sheriff’s Deputies Seize Illegal Fireworks

As a result of the explosion, which shook the southern Los Angeles neighborhood, 17 people were injured and damage was caused to homes and vehicles.Dozens of residents had to be relocated due to damage to their properties.

Some of the families They are still waiting for their homes to be repaired.while the city has paid for their stay in a hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

“The victims of the 27th Street fireworks explosion They have suffered unimaginable pain and trauma that will last a lifetime.“Councilman Curren Price said in a statement.

Keep reading: 150,000 pounds of illegal fireworks seizure is the largest in California history

“Reaching these economic agreements was a crucial step towards their recovery, the reconstruction of their lives and the search for stability and peace“, he added.

Price mentioned that The illegal fireworks explosion should never have happened and described it as completely avoidable.

“I have the strong expectation that the Los Angeles Police Department has learned from this disaster and has taken all necessary measures to prevent tragedies like this from happening again in the future for the good of our city,” the councilor said.

Keep reading: Thousands of pounds of illegal fireworks seized in Southern California raid

Conciliation agreements They still need to be signed by Mayor Karen Basswhile City Controller Kenneth Mejia must authorize the funding.

The Los Angeles Police Department admitted responsibility for the explosionwhich occurred after officers confiscated a huge amount of illegal fireworks and attempted to detonate them.

According to a federal report, the bomb squad placed nearly 40 pounds of the most volatile and dangerous homemade fireworks in an armored containment vessel that had a capacity of only 33 pounds.

Keep reading: Investigation into explosive in teddy bear leads to arrest of suspect in San Bernardino

It was determined that Illegal fireworks had to be safely detonated on site because it was risky to move them because they were too unstable, but the container exploded and the debris fell on dozens of homes, businesses and vehicles.

Ten officers and seven residents were injured in the blast, while 22 residences, 13 businesses and 37 cars and trucks were damaged. Some 80 people were forced to leave their homes. and some of them have not yet been able to return to live in the neighborhood.

Keep reading: Los Angeles gardener loses his hand after a firework explodes

Federal investigators determined that bomb squad technicians underestimated the weight of the explosive material because they calculated it by eye instead of using a scale, and ignored warnings from a team member who said The explosive material was to be divided into smaller charges..

Four members of the bomb squad were subsequently disciplined. in connection with the 2021 South Los Angeles explosion.

Keep reading:
· Nearly 38,000 pounds of illegal fireworks seized in South Los Angeles
· Illegal fireworks left a hole in the roof of a Hispanic family’s home in Gardena on the night of July 4th
· Montebello resident died after being injured by illegal fireworks