Drug lab explodes in apartment in St. Petersburg, police say St. Pete police responded to an explosion inside an apartment. and last updated 2021-01-14 12:08:23-05 ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. â St. Pete police said a drug lab was the cause of an apartment explosion Wednesday afternoon. Around 7 p.m., St. Pete police said a preliminary investigation indicated that the cause of the explosion was a drug lab in the apartment. The residents in the other apartments were not allowed back in their homes due to volatile chemicals in the apartment. The Tampa Bomb Squad said it would not be safe for the evacuated residents to return to.