Massive explosion in West, TX

[01vnms4v]

Video of the explosion it's loud as hell

[svodave]

Holy crap! That video is incredible!

[downshift_me]

You guys need to get to a blood donation center.

This. They are in major need from my understanding.

I'm waiting to see if I'm being sent out.

[talisman]

WEST, Texas (Reuters) - An explosion tore through a fertilizer plant and leveled dozens of homes in a small Texas town late on Wednesday, killing up to 15 people, injuring more than 160 and spewing toxic fumes that forced the evacuation of half the community.

Police said between five and 15 people were killed in the explosion in West, a town of about 2,800 people some 80 miles south of Dallas.

"I've never seen anything like this," McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said. "It looks like a war zone with all the debris."

The blast, triggered by a fire at the West Fertilizer Co. plant, was reported at about 8 p.m. CDT (1.00 a.m. GMT on Thursday) in West.

The cause of the fire was unknown, officials said. Waco police Sergeant W. Patrick Swanton said investigators would examine whether the blaze was the result of criminal activity or the result of a chemical reaction.

Earlier, West Mayor Tommy Muska told Reuters that five or six volunteer firefighters who were among the first on the scene were missing.

Firefighters had been battling the fire and evacuating nearby residences and a nursing home for about 50 minutes before the blast occurred.

Officials said flames that continued to smolder inside the plant posed two threats - the possibility of setting off further explosions and the emission of hazardous fumes into the town.

Swanton said a residual fire burning underneath additional chemical tanks had been brought under control "and I don't think that is any longer a threat".
Texas Public Safety Department spokesman D.L. Wilson said about half the town, about eight to 10 blocks, had been evacuated and that "we might even have to evacuate on the other side of town" if winds shifted.

[Denny]

15 is a lot less than I expected.

[dee]

15 is a lot less than I expected.

I would imagine that number could rise as more light becomes available.

[Shockeruti]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2310825/West-Texas-fertilizer-plant-explosion-leaves-dead-100-injured.html

Lots of pics in here. 5 of the 15 so far are firefighters. One of my instructors lives in Hubbard and is on the VFD there. Ill see if he has any other info on happenings.

[aggie97]

Heard and felt this in college station....thought it was odd sounding thunder. I know we are 90 miles south of waco. Pretty crazy.

[Mr_Fiux]

Im in Romania right now. They think it was a terrorist attack related to Boston.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2

[SMKR]

Just heard the plant had 54,000 pounds of AA in it.

Stevo

54,000 gallons

[SMKR]

I have a sick feeling at day break the damage is going to be extensive. West is such a nice little city, I do business with Greg may Chevrolet there. It seems from the photos that the plant was on the north side of the city?

Yea, north/northwest of downtown. 3 blocks from my customers. Just called them and he is meeting with the atf and other officials in 30 minutes. Said to go give blood and he would let me know if there was any other way to help later.

[sc281]

WEST, Texas (Reuters) - An explosion tore through a fertilizer plant and leveled dozens of homes in a small Texas town late on Wednesday, killing up to 15 people, injuring more than 160 and spewing toxic fumes that forced the evacuation of half the community.

Police said between five and 15 people were killed in the explosion in West, a town of about 2,800 people some 80 miles south of Dallas.

"I've never seen anything like this," McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said. "It looks like a war zone with all the debris."

The blast, triggered by a fire at the West Fertilizer Co. plant, was reported at about 8 p.m. CDT (1.00 a.m. GMT on Thursday) in West.

The cause of the fire was unknown, officials said. Waco police Sergeant W. Patrick Swanton said investigators would examine whether the blaze was the result of criminal activity or the result of a chemical reaction.

Earlier, West Mayor Tommy Muskatold Reuters that five or six volunteer firefighters who were among the first on the scene were missing.

Firefighters had been battling the fire and evacuating nearby residences and a nursing home for about 50 minutes before the blast occurred.

Officials said flames that continued to smolder inside the plant posed two threats - the possibility of setting off further explosions and the emission of hazardous fumes into the town.

Swanton said a residual fire burning underneath additional chemical tanks had been brought under control "and I don't think that is any longer a threat".
Texas Public Safety Department spokesman D.L. Wilson said about half the town, about eight to 10 blocks, had been evacuated and that "we might even have to evacuate on the other side of town" if winds shifted.

Still waiting on confirm from my grandpa, but I'm pretty sure my great aunt was in that nursing home. I'll probably be down there tomorrow either way though.

Shitty situation.

Interesting fact: the blast measured 2.1 on the Richter scale.

http://www.kvue.com/news/West-fertilizer-blast-triggers-21-magnitude-quake-203542341.html

[Binky]

My numbers are probably off becasue its just so soon after the event and intel is skewed but the OKC bombing was 4500lbs of ammonium nitrate that fit in a Ryder truck. This was estmated to be 25,000lbs.

Some people are copmparing it to the Texas City disaster was the deadliest industrial accident in history. TC was due to an explosion of 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate, exponentially more than was in West, Tx.

[dee]

News is saying it was Anhydrus Ammonia not nitrate ammonia.

[Juiced4v]

Saw these breaking news last night. Man things happening this week suck! R.I.P to those who lost their lives or a loved one.