HUNTINGTON BEACH, Calif. (AP) – Commercial-grade explosives discovered on the ocean floor south of Los Angeles prompted authorities to ban cell phone use Wednesday to prevent accidental detonation.

Environmental divers hired to check on algae growth in the Huntington Beach Harbour found the cigarette-sized blasting caps late Tuesday.

At least eight of the volatile explosives, which often are used to trigger larger explosions, were intentionally placed beneath nine to 15 feet of water near the shore, said Jim Amormino, spokesman for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

There was no evidence of explosives stronger than the caps, which could cause an explosion equivalent to a hand grenade, Amormino said. Cell phones were banned for several hundred feet surrounding the shoreline because their signals could detonate caps, he said.

“They are very unstable in salt water. They do pose a threat to the divers, any swimmers, any boaters in the area,” Amormino said. Nearby homes and large yachts docked in the exclusive area were not threatened, he said.

At least four of the blasting caps had been removed by Wednesday afternoon. Authorities did not immediately known why the explosives had been placed there but said terrorism was not suspected.

Corrosion on brightly colored wires attached to the explosives led investigators to believe they had been placed there sometime in the previous two days, Amormino said. A diver would have been able to see the wires from a distance, he added.

Officials think it’s unlikely the explosives are from the nearby Seal Beach Naval Weapons Station.

Copy the Story Link