Massive Texas Plant Explosion ‘Like a Nuclear Bomb,’ 5 Stunning Images

What just happened in Texas? At nearly 9 p.m. eastern time on Wednesday night, a massive explosion rocked the community of West, Texas, within a half-an-hour drive to the larger city of Waco. Occurring at the West Fertilizer Plant, the explosion has been rumored to involve anhydrous ammonia, and hundreds injured or worse. Business Insider is reporting the blast caused “more than 100 people” to be injured, with two confirmed casualties at the moment.

It’s worth noting that CNN is reporting both deaths are emergency services personnel, and that the body count could rise as high as “60 to 70 dead,” but these are just estimates. The town’s mayor, Tommy Muska, told sources that the explosion in West, Texas “was a like a nuclear bomb went off,” before adding, “There are a lot of people that will not be here tomorrow.”

The state’s governor, Rick Perry, issued a brief statement that his office’s “prayers are with the people of West,” and a Texas Department of Safety spokesperson said that the total number of those injured by the explosion is “tremendous.”

Below is a photo taken immediately after the blast.

Photo Credit: @AndyBartee

Here’s a stunning gif of the explosion.

Photo Credit: @MattNewsHerald

And a few more shots:

Photo Credit: @passantino

Photo Credit: @BrianBledsoe

Photo Credit: @Ryan_Parmenter

ABC News has reported that at least “75 to 100 houses, businesses completely destroyed” in the site around the explosion, which indicates that the official count for this tragedy may increase as more information is known. To learn more about what residents in the surrounding area are doing, the Texas Office of the Governor’s website has very helpful tips. We’d recommend checking them out here.

See the first-hand video from the blast (following page):