Authorities not estimating number of dead in Texas fertilizer explosion

Authorities have gone back from their initial estimates on how many people have died in a Texas fertilizer explosion, saying at this point they are simply not sure.

Initial estimates had pegged between 5-15 people dead, but authorities now say it is simply too early to come up with a solid number.

The city has been declared a disaster area, following the massive blast that left more than 160 injured.

Authorities are still searching for survivors, although they are becoming less optimistic as time passes.

The explosion, at West Fertilizer in downtown West, a community about 20 miles north of Waco, happened shortly before 8 p.m. local time, forcing the evacuation of about half of the small town.

According to the United States Geological Survey, the explosion registered as a 2.1-magnitude seismic event. It could be felt more than 40 kilometres away.

Sgt. Swanton said three to five firefighters are missing. It’s believed they were trying put out the fire when the explosion occurred.

The explosion was so powerful that dozens of buildings were levelled, including about 75 homes, a 50-unit apartment complex and a nursing home.

There was a fire at the plant before the explosion. Watch a video of it below:(Disclaimer: Video may be disturbing to some viewers)

Officials said it is still officially a search-and-rescue effort, with crews conducting door-to-door searches and looking for survivors in the most heavily-damaged areas.

As the fire continues to burn, there were concerns about anhydrous ammonia in the air, but a thunderstorm in the area helped to clear the air of the particles.

Speaking to reporters at around 2 a.m. Wednesday, Sgt. Swanton said authorities did not yet know if the fire and the subsequent explosion was an accident or intentionally set.

Criminal activity still hasn’t been ruled out and officials said this will be treated as a crime scene until they know this was an industrial accident.

While the investigation continues, Governor Rick Perry has declared a disaster.

It is unfortunate for us that we face both natural and man-made disasters all too often in this state but the bright side of that is that we’ve got the finest emergency management team in this country and it is very important to stress that at this point much of the information that we have is still preliminary,” Perry stated.

Dozens of emergency vehicles amassed at the scene in the hours after the blast, as fires continued to smoulder in the ruins of the plant and in several surrounding buildings. Aerial footage showed injured people being treated on the flood-lit football field that had been turned into a staging area.

Sgt. Swanton said he had no details on the number of people who work at the plant, which was cited by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality in 2006 for failing to obtain or to qualify for a permit. The agency acted after receiving a complaint in June of that year of a strong ammonia smell.

Reportedly, regulators fined the company that operates this plant that last summer for safety violations.

The fine was supposedly knocked down when the company made so-called “corrective actions.”

In 2001, an explosion at a chemical and fertilizer plant killed 31 people and injured more than 2,000 in Toulouse, France. The blast occurred in a hangar containing 300 tons of ammonium nitrate, which can be used for both fertilizer and explosives. A 2006 report blamed the blast on negligence.