Disneyland worker held in US after trash can blast

LOS ANGELES: A 22 year old Disneyland worker has been arrested after an explosion in a trash can which forced the evacuation of part of the California theme park, officials said Wednesday.

Nobody was injured in the small blast Tuesday allegedly involving dry ice in a water bottle in the Mickey's Toontown section of the popular park in Anaheim, southeast of Los Angeles.

Christian Barnes, described as an "outdoor vending cast member," was arrested late Tuesday on suspicion of possessing a destructive device, said Anaheim police spokesman Bob Dunn.

A resident of nearby Long Beach, Barnes was "cooperating" and has told detectives the blast was an "isolated incident with unanticipated impacts," he said. He was being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

The makeshift device exploded late Tuesday afternoon in a covered trash can in Toontown, an area of the park aimed at younger children, who can visit the homes of their favorite Disney characters.

The remains of a water bottle were found in the bin indicating it was a "dry ice bomb," Dunn said. The Toontown area was evacuated for some three hours, although the rest of the park remained open.

Local resident Jonathan Rosario, who was at the park with a toddler, told the Los Angeles Times: "You wouldn't expect situations like that coming to a place like this. That is crazy, that's wild."

"It reminds us, we all need to do our part to be safe," he added.

Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown said: "We take matters like this very seriously and are working closely with local authorities."