Another explosion strikes Austin, Texas, at least 2 hurt

Another explosion has been reported in Austin, Texas, and emergency officials were responding to early reports of two men injured.

Austin-Travis County Emergency Management Services tweeted Sunday night that an explosion in southwest Austin had injured two men in their 20s. There were preliminary reports of two possible explosions, but officials later tweeted that only one had been confirmed so far.

There was no immediate word on what caused the explosion. Police urged people living nearby to stay in their homes.

The new blast was far from eastern parts of the city where three package bombs exploded earlier this month — killing two people and injuring two others. Authorities have offered rewards of $115,000 for information leading to an arrest in the package bomb cases.

Police Chief Brian Manley is repeating calls for residents not to handle unexpected packages.

Speaking briefly to reporters late Sunday night, Manley also urged residents of the southwest Austin neighborhood where the latest explosion occurred to stay in their homes.

The chief says investigators will keep the surrounding area closed at least until daybreak as they collect evidence.

He says authorities also have received a separate report of a suspicious backpack in the area and are still working to “clear” that.

The area around the explosion site has been blocked off and authorities are interviewing neighbors and searching for possible witnesses.