Dock Worker Killed, Second Injured After Tire Explodes At Port Of LA

SAN PEDRO (CBSLA) – A dock worker at the Port of Los Angeles was killed and a second was injured after a tire exploded Wednesday morning.

At around 7:25 a.m., a tire on a top loader exploded at Fenix Marine Services terminal at Pier 300, a spokesperson for L.A. Port police told CBS2.

L.A. County Fire Department crews arrived to find one worker dead at the scene. A second worker was rushed to Harbor UCLA Medical Center with unknown injuries.

Their names and genders were not immediately disclosed.

L.A. City Councilman Joe Buscaino, whose district represents San Pedro, issued a statement which read in part, "I am heartbroken to hear that this morning we lost one of our ILWU brothers in an industrial accident at the Port of Los Angeles while another has been seriously injured…Today is a tragic reminder of the danger that thousands of workers face every day working on our docks."

The exact cause of the explosion was not confirmed. The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (CAL/OSHA) is investigating.