Texas blast ‘was like the whole Earth shook’

Investigators were last night preparing to comb through the wreckage of a Texas fertiliser plant that exploded in a ball of flames, destroying scores of homes and causing many deaths and injuries.

The blast devastated a large section of West, a small town 32km (20 miles) north of Waco. Police estimated that between five and 15 people were killed and more than 160 were injured. Up to five firefighters were missing.

The authorities warned that the number of victims could rise. "We do not know how many folks may still be trapped," Waco police sergeant William Swanton said in a news briefing yesterday.

'Like a nuclear bomb'
The blast happened at about 8pm on Wednesday while the town's small team of volunteer firefighters were tackling a blaze at the West Fertiliser Company plant. "It was a like a nuclear bomb went off," West's mayor, Tommy Muska, told reporters.

It registered as a 2.1 magnitude seismic event, and was felt for miles around. It is thought to have been caused when a tank of anhydrous ammonia, a fertiliser, exploded. Official records showed up to 54,000lb of the chemical was stored at the plant, whose owners were fined in 2006 for deficiencies in their emergency plan.

Authorities were in the process of evacuating residents, including a nearby nursing home, when the explosion happened. It is thought some 50 to 75 properties were damaged.

Apartment complex
Among the buildings hit was a 50-unit apartment complex. Texas public safety department spokesman DL Wilson said it had been reduced to "a skeleton standing up". A middle school in West was also badly damaged.

There was evidence of damage all over the town, which is known locally as West Comma and has about 2,800 residents, many of Czech heritage.

Matt Nors said he felt the blast at his home, 8km (five miles) away. “The first thing that went into my mind was a nuclear bomb,” he said.

“I was standing in my garage flipping meat on the grill. The shock wave felt like somebody hit me in the gut.”

Mr Nors added that his sister had had a lucky escape. She lived within 450m of the blast. “I haven’t seen the house but supposedly it’s demolished.”

Mr Nors said residents of West had not considered the potential danger of living so close to the plant. “It’s never been a concern,” he said.

His father, Bernie, said he knew four firefighters who were believed to have been killed. “They were fighting the fire when it blew up.”

Erick Perez was playing basketball at a school when the fire started. At first, the players thought little of the blaze, but after half an hour the blast came and he was thrown to the ground, he told AP.

'Earth shook'
Debby Marak (58), a teacher, told AP she noticed a lot of smoke coming from an area near the plant. When she drove over to investigate, two boys ran towards her screaming that the authorities had told them to leave because the plant was going to explode. She said she drove about a block before the blast occurred. "It was like being in a tornado. Stuff was flying everywhere. It blew out my windshield. It was like the whole Earth shook."

Phil Calvin, fire chief of nearby Navarro Mills, said his son Perry had been one of the first volunteers to respond to the call for assistance and had been missing since just after the explosion.

The US Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that it had fined the plant’s owners $2,300 in 2006 for failing to have in place a risk management assessment that met federal standards. An EPA official said: “They certified that they had corrected the deficiency.” – (Guardian service)