Huge explosion near Waco, Texas, as fertiliser plant blows up

[skyscraper101]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22195495

Dozens of people are reported injured and others are trapped in burning buildings after an explosion at a fertiliser plant near Waco in the US state of Texas.
Firefighters, ambulances and six helicopters have been mobilised to deal with the situation.
Several buildings are reported to be on fire, some of them in neighbouring residential areas, KWTX-TV reported.
The blast at the West Fertilizer plant was reported at 19:50 (00:50 GMT).

30 seconds in

 

[Yossarian]

Shit - the 20th anniversary of the end of the Waco compound siege is tomorrow.

 

[skyscraper101]

Dozens killed. Hundred injured according to CBS

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2013/04/17/fertilizer-plant-explosion-reported-north-of-waco/

A local football field has been set up to receive casualties

 

[EastEnder]

It's in "West", a place 20 miles from Waco, according to the beeb.

 

[yardbird]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22195495


30 seconds in

Fuck! Gave me a fright!!

 

[Silva]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-22195495


30 seconds in

And I was thinking "I thought a fertilizer factory explosion would have a bigger ba..."

 

[goldenecitrone]

Accident? Or is it being connected to Boston yet?

 

[agricola]

Accident? Or is it being connected to Boston yet?

Accident probably, though when these things do go its usually the result of someones negligence as well.

Hope the rumours about many dead, including EMT and fire brigade personnel turn out not to be true.

 

[goldenecitrone]

Accident probably, though when these things do go its usually the result of someones negligence as well.

Hope the rumours about many dead, including EMT and fire brigade personnel turn out not to be true.

Hope so too. That was one big explosion though. Fuck.

 

[Yossarian]

Accident probably, though when these things do go its usually the result of someones negligence as well.

Hope the rumours about many dead, including EMT and fire brigade personnel turn out not to be true.

There were already firefighters in there trying to put the fire out when the plant went up - I don't think anyone in that building could have survived.

"It was a small fire and then water got sprayed on the ammonium nitrate, and it exploded just like the Oklahoma City bomb,” said Jason Shelton, a clerk at the Czech Best Western Hotel in West. “I live about a thousand feet from it and it blew my screen door off and my back windows. There’s houses leveled that were right next to it."

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/loca...assive-fertilizer-plant-explosion-in-west.ece

 

[Greebo]

Mentioned on R4 now - people are being moved away from the plant because there's a risk of further explosions.

 

[weltweit]

Fertiliser, dangerous stuff....

 

[Barking_Mad]

Fears many dead and injured as local houses and buildings are badly damaged or destroyed. Explosion registers as a 2.1 magnitude earthquake.

http://m.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/apr/18/texas-explosion-fertiliser-plant-blast

-------------------------

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, anhydrous ammonia is a pungent gas with suffocating fumes that is used as a fertilizer.

When exposed to humans, it can cause various problems:


• Anhydrous means without water

• Anhydrous ammonia can rapidly cause dehydration and severe burns if it combines with water in the body

• Symptoms can include breathing difficulty; irritation of the eyes, nose or throat; burns or blisters.

• Exposure to high concentrations can lead to death.

• Victims require treatment with large quantities of water for at least 15 minutes

• It must be stored at high pressure, according to the University of Minnesota.

• It is a low-cost, highly effective nitrogen-based fertilizer, the University of Arkansas said.

• It is one part nitrogen and three parts hydrogen.

• When released, the vapors initially move close to the ground, causing greater risk for exposure.

 

[a_chap]

Build houses, schools, etc next to a fertiliser plant. What could possibly go wrong...

 

[Barking_Mad]

Holy shit.

 

[skyscraper101]

There's a thread already here

http://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/huge-explosion-in-waco-texas.309161/

 

[Barking_Mad]

 

[Barking_Mad]

 

[skyscraper101]

Ahem:

http://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/huge-explosion-in-waco-texas.309161/

 

[Barking_Mad]

Ahem:

http://www.urban75.net/forums/threads/huge-explosion-in-waco-texas.309161/

It's in the wrong place.

 

[Barking_Mad]

From Twitter.

 

[Barking_Mad]

70 dead are the latest reports.

 

[Barking_Mad]

07:26 GMT: Cause of fire is still unknown, cannot rule out criminal activity, police said.

 

[Barking_Mad]

The fertilizer plant that exploded Wednesday night in West, Texas, reported to the Environmental Protection Agency and local public safety officials that it presented no risk of fire or explosion, documents show.

West Fertilizer Co. reported having as much as 54,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia on hand in an emergency planning report required of facilities that use toxic or hazardous chemicals.

But the report, reviewed Wednesday night by The Dallas Morning News, stated “no” under fire or explosive risks. The worst possible scenario, the report said, would be a 10-minute release of ammonia gas that would kill or injure no one.
The second worst possibility projected was a leak from a broken hose used to transfer the product, again causing no injuries.

The plan says the facility did not have any other dangerous chemicals on hand. It says that the plan was on file with the local fire department and that the company had implemented proper safety rules.

From Guardian live blog
​

 

[Barking_Mad]

Hmm.

 

[Barking_Mad]

Fire before the explosion

 

[wiskey]

This bloke's report 'It was just like Eyerak' wasn't very confidence building.

But the whole thing looks like a nightmare situation - there's footage on the bbc of the emergency service vehicles all in a jumbled mess.

 

[Barking_Mad]

Reports of storms heading that way, possible thunder and tornado maybe? Those clouds of ammonia gas will be very dangerous.

 

[butchersapron]

Esp when the company ignores the safety of the community, even after being warned years previously. Another capital-made disaster. Volunteer firefighters too, used by that same capital to deal with their mess, risk their lifes and use their community mindedness (note: this is not a pop at the volunteers, not at all).

 

[TitanSound]

​

​

​

From Guardian live blog​

​

I imagine if there was no explosive risk then that's the only reason that it was so close to residential areas?

But if there was no explosive risk (barring a cover up from the owners or whatever), why did it go up in such a way?