Explosion outside fertility clinic that killed one person was 'act of terrorism'

One person has died in a bomb explosion near a reproductive health clinic in California which the FBI said was an "intentional act of terrorism".

The incident took place in Palm Springs, a city two hours east of Los Angeles, and is being investigated as a possible car explosion. The city's mayor Ron DeHarte said one person died in the blast, adding that the bomb was "either in or near" a vehicle.

The deceased's identity is not known, Palm Springs police said. Dr Maher Abdallah, who runs the American Reproductive Centers clinic, told the Associated Press his facility was damaged but all staff were safe and accounted for.

The explosion damaged the office space where the practice conducts patient consultations, but the IVF lab and stored embryos were unharmed, he added. "I really have no clue what happened," he said.

"Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients." In a statement posted on Facebook, the clinic said it was "heartbroken" to learn someone died in the explosion and added: "Our deepest condolences go out to the individuals and families affected." It continued: "Our mission has always been to help build families, and in times like these, we are reminded of just how fragile and precious life is. "In the face of this tragedy, we remain committed to creating hope - because we believe that healing begins with community, compassion, and care." The clinic will be fully operational on Monday, it added.

"This moment has shaken us - but it has not stopped us. We will continue to serve with strength, love, and the hope that brings new life into the world," the statement concluded.

The Palm Springs city government said in a post on Facebook that the explosion happened on North Indian Canyon Drive, near East Tachevah Drive, before 11am local time (6pm GMT). A burned-out car can be seen in a parking lot behind the building in aerial footage.

The blast caved in the clinic's roof and blew debris across four lanes of the road. Another person said he was inside a cannabis dispensary nearby when he felt a massive explosion.

Nima Tabrizi said: "The building just shook, and we go outside and there's massive cloud smoke." Investigators from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives have travelled to the scene to help assess what happened. On Saturday evening, Akil Davies, head of the FBI's Los Angeles branch, said the explosion was an "intentional act of terrorism".

He added that authorities were still working to confirm the identity of the person who died at the scene. While he did not directly say whether that person was the suspect, he said authorities were not searching for a suspect.

A White House official also told Sky's US partner network NBC News that US President Donald Trump was monitoring the situation. California governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the explosion, his press office said..