Israeli Military Factory Rocked by Explosion

A huge ammunition explosion rocked a military factory in the center of Israel today and there appeared to be many casualties, Israeli radio stations reported.

The blast occurred about 8 a.m. north of the coastal resort town of Herzliyya and shattered windows dozens of miles away, witnesses said.

A cloud of black smoke hundreds of feet high was seen over Israel’s densely populated central coastal region.

Police Commissioner Yaakov Turner said he did not have detailed information yet, including what caused the blast or how many casualties there were. An army spokesman said at least one person was killed and 47 were injured. Israel radio reported at 9 a.m. that many ambulances were leaving the area.

Several residents called radio stations to describe the blast.

“Around 8 a.m., I was standing on the balcony. Suddenly, there was a smoke cloud of hundreds of meters and after three or four seconds an enormous explosion,” Ephraim Cohen of the town of Raananna told army radio. “It was something from another world.”

Debris, including large rocks, fell on Israel’s coastal highway, and police closed off parts of the road at the height of rush hour, causing huge traffic jams.