EXPLOSION IN FORT WORTH
- An explosion was reported at the 20-story W.T. Waggoner Building in Fort Worth, the home of the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel.
- Part of the building's facade was visibly blown out along 8th Street and into an adjacent parking lot. The explosion is believed to have been caused by natural gas, though that has not yet been confirmed.
- Officials confirmed 21 injuries, including one person who was critically injured and four who were seriously injured. The remaining injuries were minor. A two-block area was evacuated.
An explosion that blew out at least two floors of a high-rise hotel and injured nearly two dozen people in downtown Fort Worth on Monday afternoon is suspected of being caused by a natural gas leak, according to the ATF and Fort Worth Fire Department.
The explosion was reported at the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel in the 800 block of Houston Street at about 3:30 p.m. Officials confirmed Monday afternoon that 21 people were injured in the blast, including one critically and four seriously.
Glass and exterior walls from at least two floors of the building's 8th Street facade were blown out onto the street and into a parking lot on the west side.
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The damage done to the first floor has been described by officials as "tremendous." The explosion appears to have also damaged the sidewalk, exposing the building's lower floors. Officials have not yet provided details on damage to the tower's structure.
The Fort Worth Fire Department is leading the investigation into the explosion and said Monday that while they have not yet confirmed the cause of the explosion there was ongoing construction in the building and that the explosion was likely caused by a gas leak. The ATF, who had agents at the scene, agreed.
Fort Worth Police said Tuesday that investigators are working to collect debris, one wheelbarrow at a time.
FORT WORTH EXPLOSION
"There is a smell of gas here in downtown. We're not sure if the smell of gas was caused from the explosion and the fire itself or if that's what caused the explosion. But that's what we're looking at," said Craig Trojacek with the Fort Worth Fire Department.
At 6 p.m., Trojacek and MedStar Ambulance's Matt Zavadsky confirmed the number of injured in the blast had increased from 11 to 21 and that one person who had been reported missing had been found. Zavadsky said 20 people were either treated at the scene or transported to area hospitals including one person who was in critical condition, four who were in serious condition, and 14 who were in minor condition. One person, officials said, walked into JPS on their own after the explosion.
There were no fatalities reported.
The explosion took place inside the W.T. Waggoner Building, a 20-story tower that sits along 8th Street between Houston and Throckmorton and was built more than 100 years ago. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. In 2019, the property was acquired by Northland Properties and remodeled into the 245-room Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel. The CEO of Northland Properties is Dallas Stars owner Tom Gaglardi.
The hotel issued a statement late Monday saying they were working closely with emergency responders and authorities "to understand the origin of the event and the extent of the harm caused."
SEARCH AND RESCUE FINDS NO ADDITIONAL VICTIMS
Late Monday afternoon, Trojacek said 26 rooms at the hotel were occupied when the explosion occurred. A preliminary search of the building was completed at about 5:30 p.m. and no additional victims were found.
In an update at about 9 p.m. Monday, Fort Worth fire officials said search and rescue would continue through the night with specially trained canines to ensure no one is trapped. The Fort Worth Fire Department posted an update on Tuesday morning, saying that search and rescue operations that took place through the night continued into the morning and that no additional victims were found.
ROADS CLOSED IN 'HOT ZONE' AROUND HOTEL
Several roads in Fort Worth also remain closed on Tuesday morning and the area within is classified as a hot zone or immediate danger zone.
Throckmorton Street is closed from West 7th Street to West 9th Street, Houston Street is closed from West 7th Street. to West 9th Street., and West 8th Street is closed from Throckmorton to Main Street.
People who work within the hot zone are not cleared to return to their offices yet. Police said those outside the hot zone are welcome to conduct business as usual.
Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare directed staff at downtown county buildings to close for the day on Monday afternoon, excluding jails and law enforcement.
FORT WORTH STOCK SHOW PARADE MAY BE IMPACTED BY EXPLOSION
The parade for the Fort Worth Stock Show is Saturday and could be impacted by the explosion. Cleanup is expected to take several days and officials are looking into how the area can be made safe for the parade.
The parade route is planned to begin at the Tarrant County Courthouse on Main Street and proceed south through Sundance Plaza to 9th Street where it turns west toward Houston Street. The parade then flows north on Houston Street, right past the Waggoner Building at 8th Street, and ends back at the Tarrant County Courthouse.
If Houston Street is still in the "hot zone" on Saturday, the plan for the parade may be altered.
"We remain in close communication with City of Fort Worth officials regarding the tragedy at the Sandman Signature Hotel and its potential impact on the Stock Show’s parade scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 13. Our hope is that the parade will occur as planned while recognizing the importance of the ongoing investigation of the incident and the need to ensure the safety of parade spectators and participants. We will notify the participants and the public as soon as decisions are made regarding the parade and extend our support and concerns to those injured in the tragedy as well as the first responders who came to their rescue.
PEOPLE NEAR EXPLOSION RECALL SHOCKING BOOM, DEBRIS EVERYWHERE
Shellie Lindley was in her high-rise condo at the time of the explosion and recorded the immediate aftermath.
"It was just this sonic boom and the building shook," Lindley said. "I could see the debris it was just it was plumes of smoke. Obviously, in the video, I'm just rambling in shock."
"For me, as a resident of downtown, we need to quickly determine how this happened to give us the confidence that we need to come back downtown," Lindley said.
Down on the ground, a woman named Mayra walked by in tears. She preferred not to share her last name.
"I have worked at the Sandman Hotel for seven months," Mayra said. "I was in the office when I heard the explosions. We ran towards the stairs but the stairs had collapsed."
FORT WORTH EXPLOSION
Eventually, Mayra and her coworkers were able to evacuate the hotel.
"I saw a lot of dust. There was a lot of smoke and a lot of people screaming."
Mayra said she helped a man whose face was covered in glass. Although thankful there were not any deaths reported, Mayra said she was terrified.
The restaurant inside the hotel, Musume, said in a statement they were devastated by the explosion but that thankfully they were closed at the time. They said there were no customers present but that three employees who were working inside the restaurant were injured and were in stable condition Monday afternoon being treated at an area hospital.
A man who was working in a nearby coffee shop told NBC 5 he heard the explosion and initially thought it was a clap of thunder. He said when he went outside he saw debris and white smoke coming from the building.
Adam Woods, a valet worker, said he was walking in the area when another valet worker told him to avoid 8th Street.
"The whole first floor, the Sandman Hotel, right next to the garage where we park our cars … it's like, everything is blown up. People coming out of the building … it was kinda scary. I don't know what to think," Woods said. "I was 3 to 5 seconds from turning down the street. It could have been me. I seen [sic] a lady she was walking down that street as well and she got caught up in it. It's very sad."
PHOTOS: Hotel explosion rocks downtown Fort Worth
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement Monday afternoon saying he was ready to "immediately deploy any additional personnel and resources needed to keep Texans in the area safe and out of harm’s way."
Atmos Energy was at the hotel Monday working with the fire department to turn off the gas supply. The ATF was at the scene assisting and a spokesperson for the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates natural gas pipeline systems in the state) confirmed to NBC 5 that the agency was sending an inspector to the site.
Fire officials confirmed construction was ongoing at the hotel, but the nature of the construction and whether or not it contributed to the blast has not been determined.
If you suspect a natural gas leak, leave the area immediately! From a safe distance call 911 and Atmos Energy's 24-hour toll-free emergency number at 1-866-322-8667.
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