Fertilizer plant explosion ripped walls off of nearby buildings in West, Texas. Here, an apparent apartment complex was ripped open.
Muska said he had arrived at that count because all the other residents and first-responders in the area have been identified. Among those who were missing and believed to be dead, he said, were as many as six firefighters and four emergency medical technicians. The explosion occurred Wednesday night, damaging or destroying buildings within a half-mile radius.
State law enforcement officials declined to confirm the mayor’s statement. “We cannot confirm the amount or number of fatalities,” said Jason Reyes, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety, during a press briefing. “I can confirm we do have fatalities.”
–Los Angeles Times staff
1 Comment to “35 to 40 now believed dead in Texas explosion, town’s mayor says”
April 18, 2013 at 4:15 PM
Stunning #tragic. #Safetyinspections un#enforced. Easier & cheaper to look the other way. What's a few lives when profits = top priority? Oversight #quoteunquote rampant all #industries. Nation's aging infrastructure calls for quality people in key jobs- agencies must know what they're doin' when it comes to safety. Are we taking advantage of technological advances? #statusquo dangerous for #ThePeople. Mistakes are being made repeatedly with deadly results as we see here, in Boston, Benghazi. Creepy that the feds never hold themselves accountable. These explosions very preventable but requires competence & intelligence from those in charge of The People's safety.