The tragedy in Texas is hardly over and as authorities try to get everything under control, we are getting new information.
After the town of West was hit by a fertilizer plant explosion, miles of property ended up damaged and many people were injured while some are believed to be dead.
It is now being reported that over 160 people suffered injuries in the explosion that started when the plant caught on fire most likely due to industrial reasons although it’s still under investigation.
You can see the explosion on the video (above). Warning: it may be difficult to watch.
As of now, it is believed between 5 and 15 people have died although that number could rise after people in the town are accounted for. Some of those who were possibly killed in the accident include five firefighters who went missing during the tragedy.
Waco police Sgt. William Patrick Swanton commented on the current state of the operation:
├óΓé¼┼ôThey are still getting injured folks out and they are evacuating people from their homes … At some point this will turn into a recovery operation, but at this point, we are still in search and rescue.├óΓé¼┬¥
Another concern at this time is the possible exposure to toxins in the air.
ABC Chief Health and Medical Editor Dr. Richard Besser commented:
“What you see with high level ammonia exposure is damage to your eyes, to your throat, to your nose, to your esophagus when you swallow. A blast that’s going in one direction, if you get a change in the wind, it can come to another neighborhood and be affected.”
As if the explosion wasn’t horrible enough!
We hope everyone is evacuated safely and the fire is soon under control.
Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this tragedy in Texas!
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