Texas fertilizer plant explosion

[AllThingsKC]

The city of West, Texas (which is along I-35, just North of Waco) is basically no more after a huge fertilizer plant explosion took out a 5-block radius. That's almost the size of the whole town.

Countless are feared dead.

Video (explosion at about the :29 mark): http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... OrpKx3aIjA

[heatherkay]

I stop in that little town to get kolaches every time I make the drive down I-35. You're right -- it's not more than a wide spot in the road. What a horror.

[chingon]

Not to minimize, but "countless" might be excessive.

[KCMax]

NYT reports five dead, 150 injured.

http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/0 ... -in-texas/

[heatherkay]

There are still a few firefighters that are missing as well.

[AllThingsKC]

Not to minimize, but "countless" might be excessive.

You are correct. I wasn't sure what to put at that time, as some of the headlines were:

"5 - 15 people confirmed dead" (What does "confirmed" mean, again?)
"Hundreds feared dead"
"Unknown feared dead"
"As many as 100 people feared dead."

Of course, the story was fluid at the time, so that adds to the confusion.

[KCMax]

There are still a few firefighters that are missing as well.

And these guys aren't pros either, they are volunteer firefighters.

[IraGlacialis]

There are still a few firefighters that are missing as well.

And these guys aren't pros either, they are volunteer firefighters.

In many cases, those are pretty pretty much the only guys available. And considering the circumstances, they probably need every hand they can get.

Horrible event.

[KCMax]

12 bodies recovered, 200 injured.