When it absolutely positively has to blow up upon delivery

So there we were working away in the office when there was a huge BAMMMM explosion sound very, very close - clearly right in or right outside our own building. We ran out of our office entrance and there right at the main doorway to the building was what was left of an APC unlimited power supply -- pieces scattered everywhere, the main bulk of it still in its cardboard box sitting on the FedEx dolly. The FedEx guy says he was thrown backward when the explosion pushed the dolly into him (good thing he wasn't carrying the thing!).

911 was called. Ambulance, fire, hazmat, news 'copters, everyone shows up. The building gets evacuated.

Here's the Union-Tribune story. Not surprisingly, they get it wrong. Quote:

A FedEx driver was starting to take a large box out of his truck outside a building on Towne Centre Drive near La Jolla Village Drive just after 11 a.m. when it started to sizzle, said San Diego police Capt. Boyd Long. The deliveryman became concerned and dropped the box, which then exploded, Long said. His only injury was a scratched arm.

A bunch of us spoke to the deliveryman within 10 seconds of the explosion, as it happened right outside our office. He was nowhere near the truck, he was at the entrance to the building, and he was going thru the glass doors with the box on the dolly. He told us the explosion pushed the dolly into him and then he was thrust backwards. He never mentioned he dropped anything when he spoke to us.

I wouldn't be surprised if the local TV news media tonight say that an unknown group that goes by the initials "A.P.C." claimed responsibility.... :-)

UPDATE - 14:46
Here comes the hysterical media. "Blast sparks terror fears," says the headline currently on the U-T website. They have an updated story as well.

The blast site.

The evacuation.

The poor FedEx truck, prolly full of deliveries that are now all delayed.

Another view.

Posted by brian at July 26, 2006 12:35 PM