An explosion at a fertilizer plant in a small town in Central Texas has injured over 170 people, an unknown number dead and shattered more than 75 surrounding homes.
The explosion that occurred Wednesday evening around 8.00 p.m. local time, has left hundreds of people in deep grief. The surrounding houses and apartments were heavily damaged injuring hundreds of people who were rushed to nearby hospitals in all possible means of transport. Authorities reported fatalities due to the massive explosion, but no estimate was given by the officials. Nearby hospitals reportedly treated over 170 people up until 2.00 a.m. ET. Twenty four patients were reported to be in critical condition and 38 seriously injured, according to a report from ABC news.
"We have tremendous amount of injuries, probably over 100 injuries at this time," State Trooper D.L. Wilson of the Texas Department of Public Safety told ABC news around 1 a.m. ET. "At this time, we do have confirmed fatalities."
Eyewitnesses reported a heavy fire broke out, which severely damaged houses in a five block radius around the plant. People were asked by the authorities to evacuate immediately and were brought to safety. People were terrified by the incident.
According to a district Republican, Representative Bill Flores, a fire broke out before the blasts occurred and the local volunteer firefighters were at the scene trying to put it off. "The fire spread and hit some of these tanks that contain chemicals to treat the fertilizer," Flores said, "and there was an explosion which caused wide damage."
Soon after the blast, the volunteer firefighters called out for immediate help. The emergency response audio narrated the chaos caused after the explosion, reported ABC News.
"We need every ambulance we can get this way," said one snippet. "A bomb just went off. It's pretty bad."
"Firefighters down," said another. "There has been an explosion."
"The rest home has been seriously damaged. We have many people down. Please respond."
Police, ambulances, fire brigades from surrounding cities came to the rescue of the people stuck in the damaged buildings and homes. According to ABC news affiliate WFAA.com, a dispatcher was heard asking people in the surrounding area to move away due to the possibility of an explosion as the fertilizer plant had unexploded tanks containing chemicals. A staging area was evacuated immediately, which was set up at the West High School football field.
Wilson described the explosion "just like Iraq, just like the Murrah building [Oklahoma City]."
"We're gonna go back in and do another house-to-house search and see if anybody else, victims, are in the houses," Wilson said. "That's going to be going on all night."
Governor Rick Perry issued a statement Wednesday night, "We are monitoring developments and gathering information as details continue to emerge about this incident. We have also mobilized state resources to help local authorities. Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of West, and the first responders on the scene."
The American Red Cross asked its Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin teams to provide all the help the victims would need. They provided a safe shelter, five miles north of West in Abbott, for all the residents who were evacuated from their homes.
