News Fertilizer plant explosion near Waco

[Quick_Nick]

As the death toll rises, I feel this deserves a thread.

Mushroom cloud out of a Texas fertilizer plant. Multiple casualties.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/17/us/texas-explosion/index.html

---------- Post added at 10:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:44 PM ----------

People several blocks from the plant were reportedly thrown by the blast. Buildings within several blocks were obliterated or ignited.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/wo...-near-waco-texas/story-fnd134gw-1226623333230

---------- Post added at 10:47 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:44 PM ----------

"ABC News is also reporting that, according to the DPS, 75-100 houses and business completely destroyed in and around the plant. Two hundred people are injured, including 40 critically."

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

As the death toll appears to near 100, I feel this deserves a thread.

Mushroom cloud out of a Texas fertilizer plant. Multiple casualties likely.
http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/17/us/texas-explosion/index.html

---------- Post added at 10:44 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:44 PM ----------

People several blocks from the plant were reportedly thrown by the blast. Buildings within several blocks were obliterated or ignited.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/wo...-near-waco-texas/story-fnd134gw-1226623333230

I have only seen reports about 100 injuries - some quite serious, but as yet no fatalities (though with people trapped there should be some). I can see up to 40-50 killed if there are a lot of workers and residents around the plant, but 100? That would at least require the whole plant to disappear without a trace...

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EDIT: Preliminary reports from the local hospital estimates 60-70 deaths and 100+ injured.

 

[Quick_Nick]

"Up to at least one mile away, the windows in homes were completely blown out."
"Felt up to 100km away."

As with all such disasters, facts won't really be solidified for some time. Going on what I'm seeing, trying to avoid the least reliable sources, and taking it all with a grain of salt.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Just checked the location of the West fertilizer plant - the local middle and high schools are RIGHT NEXT to the plant, as well as a nursing home that was obliterated. The local hospital (clinic? It's pretty small) is but a few blocks away.

I fear that the damage is much worse than feared if at least some of them were not evacuated prior to the explosion.... :blink:

 

[Quick_Nick]

Feel free to be skeptical of random YouTube videos.

---------- Post added at 11:14 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:09 PM ----------

Okay, video gaining credibility with me. First one is less 'emotional' to watch.

 

[Cosmic Penguin]

Looks like this is the 2 story apartment directly opposite the street - you are almost certainly to be killed if still inside it when the explosion hit.

BTW the explosion happened in the town named "West" (in honor of its first postmaster a century ago) in central Texas. Population is about 2200.

 

[Quick_Nick]

Secondary explosions were going off, unsurprisingly.

---------- Post added at 11:34 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 PM ----------

Reports that some were able to be evactuated from buildings as close to the plant as the nursing home.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/18/us/mass-injuries-reported-in-texas-fertilizer-plant-blast.html

A portion of the region lost electrical power as well.

 

[Athena]

RT - Massive blast rocks Texas fertilizer plant: LIVE UPDATES

I think there's alot of casualties on this one...could someone confirm those 100 deaths?

 

[Quick_Nick]

RT - Massive blast rocks Texas fertilizer plant: LIVE UPDATES

I think there's alot of casualties on this one...could someone confirm those 100 deaths?

I doubt it. ~60-70 were claimed by an EMS director earlier in the day. But no individual or official count is very high as far as I know. They've got quite some time before they can combine all the counts. And you can be sure a notable portion of the final death toll will be 'missing' individuals deep in the plant.
I would say you could confirm 100-200 injuries though.

That picture of the apartment complex allows plenty of room for speculation of deaths for sure.

---------- Post added at 11:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:42 PM ----------

The damaged area and possibly the town were evacuated earlier. It seems there is potential or at least worry for environmental hazard from toxic materials.

 

[Athena]

I would say you could confirm 100-200 injuries though.

I think that's confirmed....i think that it could even have more than 300, hopefully it doesn't..

04:55 GMT: The Texas explosion injured at least 200 people, 40 of them critically, Department of Public Safety spokesperson says, according to ABC.

EDIT: http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/...orted-At-West-Fertilizer-Plant-203505331.html

KWTX news says around 60-70 dead

 

[Linguofreak]

I didn't hear anything as our house is fairly well insulated, but according to the Wikipedia article on the explosion, it was heard as far north as where I live (the southern DFW area, the article lists Arlington and Desoto, which are both about as far north as I am).

 

[Hielor]

Sad to hear. I've driven through West, the Little Czech bakery just off the freeway there had the best brownies I've ever had.

My thoughts are with those affected...

 

[Urwumpe]

Revives some memories of the PEPCO disaster. Fertilizer and similar substances are really nasty stuff.

And sad to hear, most of the victims seem to be fire fighters, who had been trying to cool the tank and extinguish the fire when one of two tanks suddenly exploded.

The other tank is still not safe, there could be a second similar explosion.

 

[N_Molson]

Remembers me the AZF chemical factory explosion in Toulouse, 2001. The culprit was ammonium nitrate, we had 29 deaths, thousands of injured (windows debris), and most of the witnesses are still under psychological trauma at various levels.

My thoughts to the victims and their families.

 

[Kendo]

I guess the fertilizer itself will do even more damage.

 

[Quick_Nick]

I guess the fertilizer itself will do even more damage.

It's my understanding that the fertilizer would have been a/the major component exploding, if that's what you're wondering. I could be wrong though. I don't know what they use for production or have as byproducts at the plant.

 

[Urwumpe]

It's my understanding that the fertilizer would have been a/the major component exploding, if that's what you're wondering. I could be wrong though. I don't know what they use for production or have as byproducts at the plant.

It is reported that there are tanks of ammonia at the plant (25 tons of ammonia had been reported stored there according to wikipedia)

But the production process also includes nitric acid and results in ammonium nitrate. The first is also used as rocket fuel and the latter is also used as industrial explosive(ANFO).

 

[Athena]

From RT, 5 to 15 people killed, over 160 injured in West plant blast, police say. The explosion leveled local residents’ homes, shaking doors and sending shockwaves across the community

 

[Quick_Nick]

It is reported that there are tanks of ammonia at the plant (25 tons of ammonia had been reported stored there according to wikipedia)

Well, I guess that right there is enough hazard to evacuate.

“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,” Besser told ABC News Radio. “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.”

"The explosion registered as 2.1 magnitude quake according the USGS."

 

[Spacethingy]

"The explosion registered as 2.1 magnitude quake according the USGS."

Interesting, [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemel_Hempstead_Fuel_Depot_Explosions"]this fuel depot fire/explosion[/ame] was a 2.4-equivalent quake (I vaguely remember hearing something from about 150 miles away), had a similar proximity to a town, and yet caused no deaths and nowhere near as many casualties. Why the difference?

Edit: didn't notice the time of day difference, so in effect just a matter of luck.

Horrible, horrible coincidence with the Boston events, thoughts go to the people there recovering.