In West, Texas, on Wednesday at about 8 PM, the West Fertilizer Co. Plant dramatically exploded. The blast was felt as far as 50 miles away, and the explosion killed 14 people and injured an estimated 200 in this town of 2,800 people.
According to Fox News, Al Vanek, a member of the West City Council said a four-block area around the West Fertilizer Co. Plant was “totally decimated.”
Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco received 98 people injured, including five who were in intensive care, with another 30 in intensive care.
As of this writing, there’s no definitive explanation for why the blast happened, only that it did.
President Obama issued this statement:
Today our prayers go out to the people of West, Texas in the aftermath of last night’s deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant. A tight-knit community has been shaken, and good, hard-working people have lost their lives. I want to thank the first responders who worked tirelessly through the night to contain the situation and treat the wounded. My Administration, through FEMA and other agencies, is in close contact with our state and local partners on the ground to make sure there are no unmet needs as search and rescue and response operations continue. West is a town that many Texans hold near and dear to their hearts, and as residents continue to respond to this tragedy, they will have the support of the American people.
Stay tuned.
Zennie Abraham | Zennie Abraham or “Zennie62” is the founder of Zennie62Media which consists of zennie62blog.com and a multimedia blog news aggregator and video network, and 78-blog network, with social media and content development services and consulting. Zennie is a pioneer video blogger, YouTube Partner, social media practitioner, game developer, and pundit. Note: news aggregator content does not reflect the personal views of Mr. Abraham.