Seven of 9 Los Angeles firefighters injured in truck blast have been released from a hospital

LOS ANGELES — Seven of the nine firefighters injured when a truck’s fuel tank exploded have been released from a hospital, a Los Angeles Fire Department spokesman said Friday.

The two firefighters who were most seriously injured remained hospitalized, Capt. Erik Scott said in a video update on social media.

One was in stable but critical condition in the burn unit at Los Angeles General Medical Center and the other remained hospitalized at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center for observation, Scott said.

The released firefighters will continue to receive treatment for injuries including burns, blunt trauma, shrapnel and effects on their hearing, Scott said.

The explosion occurred minutes after firefighters responded to a report of a truck fire in the Wilmington area near the Port of Los Angeles.

Authorities said the truck was powered by compressed natural gas and one of its two 100-gallon fuel tanks exploded.

The other tank remained in the mangled wreckage but is now believed to be empty, department spokesman Nicholas Prange said. An extensive investigation is underway.