A major explosion occurred at a Texas fertilizer plant on April 17, 2013, at 7:50 pm local time. The explosion took place at the city of West, which is about 320 kilometers north of the Texas capital of Houston. Fire still seems to be burning six hours after the explosion.
There are fears that the explosion might have killed many people and could have injured as many as 150. Authorities have not yet revealed any official casualty figures, but Dr. George Smith from the Texas Emergency Medical Services said that at least 60 people might have died and 100 might have been injured.
Tommy Muska, the Mayor of West confirmed that at least four to five rescuers who were involved in the rescue are missing. Muska revealed that the plant had caught fire before the explosion which destroyed the surrounding areas. The blast razed about 10 homes and damaged 50 more.
The blast even triggered an earthquake with a magnitude of 2.1. Rescuers have launched a door-to-door search overnight to look for any missing people. There are also concerns that some toxic chemicals might have been released into the air. The actual cause of the initial fire is yet to be investigated.
