2 killed, 4 hurt in California airport explosion

Los Ageles, July 27: A large explosion struck an airport in the California desert that is also used for commercial spaceflights, reportedly killing two people and injuring four others.

The blast hit a remote area of the sprawling Mojave Air and Space Port about 2:30 pm PDT (0300 hrs IST) yesterday, and did not involve any structures, spokeswoman Christina Scott said.

The Los Angeles Times and the Bakersfield Californian newspapers reported on their Web sites that two people were killed and four others critically injured in the explosion, but Scott said she could only confirm several injuries.

Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield confirmed four people were being treated there.

Scott said the explosion did not appear to have been caused intentionally or pose a security threat.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the explosion occurred at or near a test site for small rocket engines. The cause of the explosion was not immediately confirmed.

Famed aerospace designer Burt Rutan, who has partnered with Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen and British airline tycoon Richard Branson to form a space tourism company, bases his company, Scaled Composites, at the airfield.

The 3,300-acre Mojave Airport opened in 1935 as a small rural airfield serving the local gold and silver mining industry and was taken over by the US Marine Corps in 1942 as a military base. It was returned to civilian use in 1961.

It is currently home to the National Test Pilot School, the largest civilian test pilot center in the world. It also houses one of the country's largest aviation scrap yards and has been used as a location in numerous TV shows and films, including ''Die Hard 2'' and ''Waterworld.''

Reuters>