UPDATE: A car on James Street between Second and Third avenues exploded this afternoon in a fiery ball that witnesses said sounded like dynamite. See the photos to the right for the charred carnage.

According to witnesses, the explosion occurred after a Seadrunar recycling truck rear-ended a parked Acura.

The accident ricocheted into several parked cars along the street, pushing a large black SUV into a parking meter. One eyewitness told us he saw someone in the car at the time of the explosion, but police say that is incorrect.

The owner of the black SUV tells us that both he and the owner of the white Acura had just left their vehicles at the time of the accident to go to the courthouse, narrowly averting a tragedy. Police are reporting only minor injuries in the accident.

Another witness tells us the explosion sent a black plume of smoke into the air, and made her initially think it was a terrorist attack.

Seadrunar is a Seattle-based paper recycling company. The company is aware of the accident and says it has sent its recycling manager to the scene.

The block of the accident has several popular restaurants, including Il Corvo Pasta and Hole in the Wall BBQ.