Fertilizer Plant Explosion Near Waco

Explosions rocked a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, Wednesday evening as firefighters were battling a fire, causing multiple injuries, authorities said. Dani Moore, dispatcher with the Texas Department of Pubic Safety, said she did not know how many were injured or the extent of their injuries. "The fertilizer plant was on fire. Firefighters were on the scene. There was an explosion ... followed by a second explosion,'' she said. She said there were multiple damages to structures and vehicles. She said she had no information on the cause of the blasts or fire. WFAA.com reported at least 10 structures were on fire, including a school which is next door to the plant. An emergency triage center was set up at a high school football field. The TV station said on its website that a shock wave was felt in parts of North Texas. The Waco Tribune reported injuries to several people including firefighters. The fertilizer plant is about 20 miles north of Waco and just off Interstate 35. KWTX.com reported one of the nearby buildings damaged was a nursing home, and state troopers transported some of the injured to hospitals in patrol cars. It also said the explosion knocked out electrical power to part of the community. Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center in Waco, was receiving some of the injured. Answering the phone at the hospital, Karen Jackson said she could provide no information on the number of injured or the extent.