Explosion in LAX: Authorities Determine Cause Is Dry Ice

According to NBC News in Southern California, an apparent explosion of dry ice in an employee bathroom at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on Sunday night caused long delays in flights. Flights were immediately ceased as authorities investigated the explosion, which occurred at about 7 p.m. in a bathroom near terminal 2, Gate 27. No injuries were reported, and flights resumed two hours later at 9 p.m.

The Associated Press noted that a plastic bottle of dry ice was left in the bathroom stall and an airport employee heard the explosion from the tarmac and later found the bottle in the restroom. The Los Angeles Police Department’s bomb squad arrived shortly after, but the investigation has since been taken over by the FBI. A source told NBC News that the bottle was left there as a prank.

FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller released this statement shortly after the incident:

"Earlier this evening, law enforcement and airport officials responded to a report of an explosion in an employee bathroom in Terminal 2 at Los Angeles International Airport. In a restricted area of the terminal (not accessible to the general public), responders found evidence of a plastic bottle containing dry ice. A chemical reaction caused the explosion.”

The FBI and other authorities including the LAPD, LAX PD, TSA and LA FIRE will be investigating further to determine who is responsible.