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Two state bomb-squad agents in North Carolina were injured in an explosion early Friday morning as they tried to neutralize bomb-making materials found during a vehicle search in Sampson County, authorities said.
A man, Jimmy Tyndall, 33, was arrested in the incident. He is being held on multiple charges including larceny, possession of a weapon of mass destruction and mephedrone possession, NBC affiliate WRAL in Raleigh reported.
Agents Timothy Luper and Brian Joy with the State Bureau of Investigation's bomb squad were assisting the Sampson County Sheriff's Office Thursday night when they found the materials, SBI spokeswoman Angie Grube said in a statement on Twitter.
Authorities with the Sampson County Sheriff's Office had conducted a traffic stop when they found explosives, including at least one pipe bomb, in a vehicle belonging to Tyndall, according to WRAL.
The SBI's bomb squad was then called in to assist, the outlet reported.
The incident continued into early Friday morning, Grube said. The explosion occurred as Luper and Joy were "conducting a render safe mission" on the materials.
Joy, a special agent with the department, was airlifted to a burn center in Chapel Hill and is in critical condition, Grube said.
Luper, an assistant special agent in charge, was also taken to the burn center and is in stable condition.
