RTTue, 20 Mar 2018 12:48 UTC
© Tamir Kalifa / Reuters
The package reportedly contained metal shrapnel and nails. It exploded as it was traveling along the conveyor belt at the facility. The ATF, FBI, local law enforcement and the fire department have all been deployed to the scene in the city of Schertz, reports KENS5 local news.
The victim's injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
The concussive force of the explosion injured the woman, not shrapnel, and she was treated at the scene.
The incident occurred at roughly 12:30 am local time, according to Officer Manny Casas of the San Antonio police department.
An unnamed FBI agent told CBS News that "it's more than possible" the explosion is related to the Austin mail bomb attacks.There were roughly 75 employees at the distribution facility at the time of the explosion, according to the San Antonio Fire Department. RT.com has contacted FedEx for a statement.
"Schertz was recently ranked as one of America's safest cities by the National Council of Safety and Security," the local police department wrote on
Facebook.
The city of Austin has been the target in a spate of mail bombings. The first attack took place on March 2, in which a 39-year-old man was killed. Two additional bombings happened on March 12, killing one teenage boy and injuring two others. Two men, aged 22 and 23, were seriously injured in the latest explosion on Sunday.The first three Austin bombings were packages which detonated when moved outside residences. The fourth was a tripwire device which exploded on a roadside.
Comment: If confirmed, this would be the fifth such bombing in the last few weeks and yet another change in tactics by the suspect(s).
The Washington Post reports:
In Austin, the interim Austin police chief, Brian Manley, said local teams were "working closely" with federal authorities on the FedEx probe.
The incident happened as investigators scrambled for clues at the scene of another mysterious explosion Sunday in Austin, the fourth in a string of attacks in the city this month. Authorities believe they are the work of a sophisticated "serial bomber" who has been terrorizing Austin with increasingly complex devices. [...]
Sunday's blast in Austin, which injured two men walking through a residential area, marked an escalation in both the tactics and skills displayed by the bomber or bombers, police said. While the three previous devices were hidden in packages delivered to homes in residential neighborhoods, the fourth device - anchored to a for-sale sign - was left on the side of the road and was rigged with a tripwire, showing "a higher level of sophistication, a higher level of skill," said Manley.
"What we have seen now is a significant change from what appeared to be three very-targeted attacks to what was, last night, an attack that would have hit a random victim that happened to walk by," Manley said at a news briefing Monday. "So we've definitely seen a change in the method."
Further reading:
Comment: If confirmed, this would be the fifth such bombing in the last few weeks and yet another change in tactics by the suspect(s). The Washington Post reports: Further reading: