Tragedy Strikes Small Texas City

We haven't even recovered from the tragedy in Boston, when another one hits -- this time in the small city of West, Texas. As firefighters were fighting a blaze at a large fertilizer plant it exploded, killing at least two people (although the final death count could climb much higher) and injuring at least 100. The city is near Waco, and just south of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.

For those of you who are regular readers, this blogger has a friend living in West -- blogger and frequent commenter on this blog, Yellowdog Granny. She was not hurt, but has to be psychologically wounded because of the tragedy. My thoughts are with her -- and the other good people of West, as they deal with this devastating incident. Here is part of what the Fort Worth Star-Telegram is reporting:

The number of dead could rise much higher, perhaps to 70, Dr. George Smith, the town's emergency management director, told CNN.

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

"We have two EMS personnel that are dead for sure, and there may be three firefighters that are dead."

About midnight, DPS trooper D.L. Lewis said "a number" of people had been killed.

This is "an unbelievable tragedy," said Lewis, who likened the blast aftermath to Iraq or the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City after the 1996 bombing.

Lewis said he did not have a confirmed number of casualties. He said emergency workers were going to search door to door throughout the night for victims of the powerful blast, which was felt as far north as Arlington and sent a mushroom cloud high into the sky.

He said 75 to 100 homes had been damaged or destroyed in the town of fewer than 3,000 people.

The blast at West Fertilizer, about 20 miles north of Waco, happened shortly before 8 p.m.

At an 11 p.m. news conference, Mayor Tommy Muska said: "We need your prayers. There's a lot of people that I'm sure are not going to be here tomorrow."

Muska said the plant was "fully engulfed in flames" when the explosion happened. Muska, a volunteer firefighter, said he was on his way to fight the fire before "the very powerful" explosion occurred.

The blast "blew my hat off," he said.

Buildings in a five-block radius, including a nursing home with about 130 residents, were significantly damaged, he said. West Middle School on West Shook Street burned.

The fires were under control by late evening, Muska said.

But a big concern was toxic gas.

"The most important thing is to see that everyone is accounted for," he said.

Read more here: http://www.star-telegram.com/2013/04/18/4783711/explosion-at-fertilizer-plant.html#storylink=cpy