A fiery explosion at a fertilizer plant in the town of West, near Waco, Texas, killed fifteen and injured more than 160 people, police said. There are fears the death toll could rise, as rescue operation is still underway.
NBC reported the explosion was so powerful that fire has engulfed part of the town, damaging many homes and building located nearby.
According to the Waco Assistant Fire Chief Don Yeager, the fertilizer plant had an anhydrous ammonia explosion, but the cause is not yet known. Witnesses say they felt a massive blast like a bomb or earthquake.
The injured are being rushed to local hospitals while a nearby football field is being used as a triage center. "The injuries that we are seeing are very serious. There are a number of patients that will be going to surgery. ...It's a very, very unfortunate situation,'' said Glenn Robinson, CEO of Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center.
Certain areas are currently being evacuated and rescue workers and volunteers, including the Red Cross, are still on hand trying to find residents. "We're gonna search for everybody. We're gonna make sure everybody's accounted for. That's the most important thing right now," West Mayor Tommy Muska told the media.
Friday, April 19th, marks the anniversary of the Waco disaster, where a Federal siege went horribly wrong; the terrible confrontation, also called the Waco Massacre, began Sunday, 28 February 1993. After a fifty-day standoff, a bloody gunfight ensued between Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ officers and inhabitants of the Branch Davidian compound, in which 76 men, women and children, including the sect’s leader, David Koresh, were killed.
This explosion is yet one more disaster to hit the nation this week. The annual Boston Marathon turned into bloody mayhem, when two bombs were detonated at the finish line, killing three and injuring 170. Also, as authorities try to piece together the puzzle and find those responsible to bring them to justice, poison laced letters were mailed to President Barack Obama, Senator Roger Wicker, and another official. Fortunately, a suspect was recently arrested.
Authorities have not said if there is a connection between the three incidents, but the country is understandably on edge, and cities like New York and Washington are under high terror alert.
Rico says the fertilizer plant was probably an accident, the ricin incident was a wacko, and the jury's still out on the Boston bombing...
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