Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Kills 5 to 15 People

Religion Today | Updated: Apr 22, 2013

Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Kills 5 to 15 People

A massive explosion at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas Wednesday night has killed an estimated five to 15 people, wounding more than 160, and damaging 50 to 60 homes in a five-block area, CNN reports. Described as a nuclear-like blast by those who witnessed it, the explosion rocketed the West Fertilizer Co. at around 7:50 p.m. (8:50 p.m. ET). The explosion is being treated as a crime scene until investigators determine whether it was an accident. “Nothing at this point indicates we have had criminal activity, but we are not ruling that out,” said Sgt. William Patrick Swanton to CNN reporters. Patients were rushed to several surrounding hospitals, while fire and rescue units were being called in from neighboring cities. The blast shook houses 50 miles away and measured a 2.1-magnitude seismic event, according to the United States Geological Survey. Meteorologists are warning that an approaching storm system could complicate rescue efforts, as winds are forecasted to be gusting up to 35 miles per hour. 

Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Kills 5 to 15 People