Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion, Dozens Feared Dead, Hundreds Injured

WACO (CBSDFW.COM) -  A fertilizer plant explosion in the town of West, north of Waco, has injured hundreds and as many as 70 people are feared dead.  However, no official numbers have been released.

Meanwhile, the residents of the town of 2,700 are being asked to evacuate due to ammonia fumes after the explosion of West Fertilizer. The plant is located at 1471 Jerry Mashek Drive, just off Interstate-35.  School buses and ambulances are being used to evacuate residents from the area.



Dozens Feared Dead, Hundreds Injured In Fertilizer Plant Explosion « CBS Dallas / Fort Worth







"It was a like a nuclear bomb went off," the mayor, Tommy Muska, told reporters. "Big old mushroom cloud. There are a lot of people that got hurt. There are a lot of people that will not be here tomorrow."

CNN reported two emergency workers killed, a death toll which authorities feared will rise sharply. More than 150 people were treated for injuries at the local hospital as well as at Waco, 18 miles away, and Dallas, 80 miles away.

Units from 30 fire departments brought the blaze at the West Fertilizer Company plant under control by midnight. Fears that a second fertiliser tank might explode receded but authorities continued to evacuate residents amid concern about toxic fumes.

David Argueta, vice-president of operations at Waco's Hillcrest Baptist medical centre, said staff had treated lacerations and orthopaedic-type injuries. "We are being told that we have seen most of the patients, and it's now turned into a search-and-rescue operation on scene."

A spokesman for the Texas department of public safety, DL Wilson, told a press conference the blast had probably caused hundreds of wounded and some deaths. "We do have confirmed fatalities. The number is not current yet. It could go up by the minute. We're in there searching the area right now and making sure that it's safe."


UPDATE (04.17.2013 @0600 HRS): 

Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion, Dozens Feared Dead, Hundreds Injured

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Boston Marathon Bombing Tragedy 4/15/13

Two explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon have resulted in injuries.







Two bombs exploded near the crowded finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday, killing three people and injuring more than 140 others in a terrifying scene of broken glass, smoke and severed limbs, authorities said.

  Watch More News Videos at ABC

Police initially said a third explosion occurred later at John F. Kennedy Library in Boston, but later said it was related to a fire. No one was injured at the library, police said.


UPDATE (04.16.2013): 

"Any Responsible Individuals, Any Responsible Groups Will Feel The Full Weight Of Justice"

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)

Four Firefighters Held Hostage, Gunman Shot Dead by SWAT

SUWANEE, Ga. (AP) — A gunman who held four firefighters for hours in a suburban Atlanta home was shot dead by SWAT members and all the hostages are slightly injured but should be OK, authorities said Wednesday. 

Minutes before the police announcement, one big explosion followed by several smaller ones or gunshots were heard in the Suwanee neighborhood about 35 miles northeast of Atlanta. A SWAT officer was shot in the hand or arm, but should be fine, said Gwinnett County Police Cpl. Edwin Ritter.

The firefighters mainly suffered cuts and bruises in the explosion that authorities used to distract the suspect before they rushed the house, said fire department Capt. Tommy Rutledge.

Ritter said the gunman, who has not been identified, demanded his power and cable be turned back on. According to public records, the home is in foreclosure and has been bank-owned since mid-November.

"It's an unfortunate circumstance we did not want this to end this way," Ritter said. "But with the decisions this guy was making, this was his demise."

Five firefighters responded to what seemed like a routine medical call and were eventually takenhostage by an unidentified suspect inside the house, Ritter said. The gunman released one of the firefighters to move a fire truck.

The gunman's motive was unclear to police and fire officials. SWAT team members had surrounded the home and a hostage negotiator had been in contact with the suspect.

Rutledge said the medical call seemed routine and firefighters did not believe there was any danger. One engine and one ambulance responded.

"Our firefighters responded to a call they respond to hundreds of times, and that's a medical emergency," he said.

The explosion rocked the neighborhood of mostly two-story homes and well-kept lawns and set off car alarms all over.

Two ambulances could be seen leaving.

(The usual disclaimers: I am not a journalist; This is a blog that expresses an outlook and is not conclusive in any shape or manner.)