A fertilizer plant in a small town 20 miles north of Waco caught fire on Wednesday evening, and while firefighters were battling the blaze, the entire facility exploded, rocking the surrounding communities and causing damage to homes and buildings miles away. Early Thursday morning, authorities could only say there were definite fatalities, possibly many, and several of the firemen were reported missing after the blast.
West, Texas, a small community, has been devastated. With the area being so rural, first-responders were not equipped to handle a tragic event of this magnitude. The initial firefighters who responded are feared dead considering the power of the blast, which was felt some 70 miles away like an earthquake. Initially there were over 100 people injured, but that was Wednesday evening around nightfall, and that number is expected to rise considerably once daylight comes on Thursday and rescue teams can get in and search for survivors or victims.
This tragedy comes two days after the Boston Marathon bombings, which had dominated the news networks all week until this incident occurred. There is still the question of how the initial fire started as the facility was reportedly engulfed in flames when the initial first-responders arrived.
Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion Felt Some 70 miles away, KIlls At Least 5 was originally published on kissrichmond.com
