BREAKING: Fertiliser plant explosion near Waco, Tx

Massive Fertilizer Plant Explosion Shakes Texas, Town Evacuated, Toxic Fumes, Up To 70 Dead

Zero Hedge,

17 April, 2013

In the aftermath of the Boston horrors, a massive explosion has occurred at a fertlizer plant in the town of West, Texas (near Waco). This week is the 20th anniversary of the deadly seige in Waco.


There are at least 10 other buildings are on fire, including the town middle school, and a large swath of the town was “leveled” in the explosion. 

The explosion occurred around 7:50pm local time. A fireball of nearly 100 feet high has been reported along with a massive power outage. 

The images and scale of this explosion are incredible and reports are coming in people still trapped. The explosion could be heard from 100 miles away in Dallas. 

The explosion followed the outbreak of a fire at the plant - and occurred as firefighters were working on the blaze.

UPDATE: Entire town (within a mile radius) to be evacuated - toxic fumes may be spreading

UPDATE: Hospital told to anticipate 100 people with injuries, Hospital CEO tells CNN

UPDATE: Up To 70 Dead, 38 seriously injured included blast injuries, orthopedic injuries, large wounds and a lot of lacerations and cuts.

UPDATE: *AS MANY AS 80 HOMES DESTROYED IN TEXAS FERTILIZER BLAST: CNN

CNN Reports from Dr. George Smith, the emergency management system director of the city:

Fire officials fear that the number of casualties could rise as high as 60 to 70 dead,

"That's a really rough number, I'm getting that figure from firefighters, we don't know yet," he said.

"There are lots of houses that are leveled within a two-block radius," Smith said. "A lot of other homes are damaged as well outside that radius."

"It was an apartment complex that was devastated, and the nursing home. The fire was close to a residential area,"

And from the Mayor:

"There's a lot of people who won't be here
tomorrow"

"Blast 'took out' a five-block radius"

From CNN

An explosion ripped through a fertilizer plant Wednesday night in the area of West, Texas, sending a massive fireball into the sky and causing dozens of injuries, officials said.

A number of nearby residents were being evacuated because of the possibility of another explosion, officials said.

A hospital in nearby Waco, Texas, has been told to anticipate 100 injured people coming in from the fertilizer plant area, an official at the medical facility said.

Glenn Robinson, CEO of Hillcrest Hospital, said a field triage station was being set up on a football field near the plant some 18 miles north of Waco after the Wednesday night explosion.

"We have had a steady flow of patients coming in by ambulance as well as by private vehicles," Robinson told CNN's Anderson Cooper.

More than 60 patients were received as of 10 p.m. (11 p.m. ET), Robinson said, suffering from "blast injuries, orthopedic injuries (and) a lot of lacerations. While some of the injuries are minor, others are "quite serious," he said.

Hazardous material teams were being rushed to the scene, an emergency management official said.

At least six helicopters are going to fly out those who are injured, Robinson said. Others are being transported by ambulance, and some are getting to the hospital by car, he added.

Two other hospitals in the region were also assisting.

As many scrambled to assist the injured, another danger seemed to emerge Wednesday night.

"What we are hearing is that there is one fertilizer tank that is still intact at the plant, and there are evacuations in place to make sure everyone gets away from the area safely in case of another explosion," said Ben Stratmann, a spokesman for Texas State Sen. Brian Birdwell.

Photos of the explosion -- which reportedly happened around 7:50 p.m. (8:50 p.m. ET) -- showed a huge blaze and flames leaping over the roof of a structure and a plume of smoke rising high into the air.

The West Fertilizer Plant is just north of Waco. A school and a nursing home are among the buildings near the plant, CNN affiliate KWTX reported.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry said he is aware of the explosion, a spokesman said, and was working to get resources into the area.

Tommy Alford, who works in a convenience store about three miles from the plant, told CNN that several volunteer firefighters were at the store when they spotted smoke. Alford said the firefighters headed toward the scene and then between five and 10 minutes later, he heard a massive explosion.

"It was massive; it was intense," Alford said.

Chrystal Anthony, a nearby resident, said she saw the flames engulf a nursing home and an apartment complex.

"It was an apartment complex that was devastated, the nursing home. The fire was close to a residential area," Anthony said.

"It was like a bomb went off," said Barry Murry, a resident who lives about a mile away from the plant. "There were emergency vehicles everywhere. It has been overwhelming."

West, Texas, is a community of about 2,800 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Sitting about 75 miles south of Dallas and 120 miles north of Austin, West is one of 22 incorporated communities in McLennan County.

To see local TV coverage GO HERE