Two People Killed in a Houston Plant Explosion
On Friday, Jan. 24, a manufacturing business exploded, damaging surrounding buildings and homes. An investigation is underway.
Early Friday morning, a manufacturing plant in Houston, Texas underwent a massive explosion—leaving wreckage, debris, and smoke everywhere. A criminal investigation on the cause of the blast is underway, according to one CNN article.
“We have no evidence at this point...that an intentional act is involved. Having said that, part of our protocol is always to (start) a criminal investigation” in such a case, said Police Chief Art Acevedo.
He expects the investigation of the cause to take days, weeks, or even months.
Authorities have told people within a mile of the blast site to look for debris—including body parts, sadly—and report it to authorities if they see something. This includes searching homes and roofs.
The blast occurred at 4:15am local time at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing, roughly an 18-mile drive northwest of downtown Houston. A fireball rose from the scene after the blast, and one Twitter video shows the immediate aftermath. The distant footage was taken by a camera mounted to a home window.
Besides the two people killed, at least one person was injured by the explosion from shattered glass and was taken to the hospital. Other people’s homes in the surrounding area suffered damage, including damaged ceilings and windows. One person said he was knocked out of his bed from the blast. Others’ garage doors were busted.
By daylight, flames were no longer visible, but firefighters have not explored the blast site because an “unspecified gas was flowing in the damaged business” and crews were trying to shut it off, said Houston fire Chief Samuel Pena.
Officials had no reports of any air quality hazards as of Friday, Jan. 24.
A temporary shelter has been opened for people whose homes were damaged. A local church has opened its doors to “anybody that we may have to evacuate out of their home due to damage” said Chief Pena.