As Many As 40 Dead In Massive Explosion At West, Texas Fertilizer Plant

REUTERS / Mike Stone

A massive explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. rocked the small town of West, Texas, late Wednesday night, leaving as many as 40 people dead — including up to 10 emergency personnel — and more than 170 people injured, The Wall Street Journal reports.

Search and rescue is ongoing. At a press conference officials called the situation "volatile," because the West Fertilizer Co. had 54,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia on hand.

"It was like a nuclear bomb went off," West Mayor Tommy Muska told CNN. The blast was so massive that it registered as a 2.1 magnitude earthquake, according to the USGS.

Sgt. Patrick Swanton of the Waco Police Department said the first call of a fire came in at 7:29 p.m. local time. Firefighters and other emergency workers responded to the call and began evacuating the area.

Minutes later, the devastating explosion occurred. The first call of the explosion came in at 7:53 p.m. local time, Swanton said.

More than 100 victims have been treated at Hillcrest Hospital in Waco, Texas, which is just north of West. And at least 60 more have been treated at Providence Hospital.

The town of about 2,800 people roughly 80 miles south of Dallas.

BI's West, Texas plant explosion coverage:

• Texas town looks devastated in the light of day
• Pictures of the neighborhood on Wednesday night
• This man pulled 16 people from the rubble of a nursing home after the explosion
• The Texas explosion left a huge mushroom cloud [video]
• Why fertilizer plants are prone to explosions
• Videos show destruction in neighborhood near the explosion
• West Fertilizer Co. had 54,000 pounds of a volatile chemical on hand
• The plant was across the street from the local high school

There were a "tremendous amount of injuries and we do have confirmed fatalities," said D.L. Wilson, a spokesman for the Texas Department of Safety at a conference late Wednesday night, He was not able to provide specific numbers.

Wilson said the aftermath resembled a war zone.

"I searched some houses earlier tonight. Massive. Just like Iraq. Just like the Murrah building in Oklahoma City," Wilson said.

AP via KWTX-TVAmong the damaged buildings was a housing complex with a completely collapsed roof, a middle school, and a nursing home, according to the Associated Press. Wilson said that some 133 patients were evacuated from the nursing home, and their injuries were still being evaluated. The plant was across the street from a local middle school.

President Barack Obama released a statement Thursday morning, pledging "close contact" among federal, state, and local officials.

Here's the statement:

"Today our prayers go out to the people of West, Texas in the aftermath of last night’s deadly explosion at a fertilizer plant. A tight-knit community has been shaken, and good, hard-working people have lost their lives. I want to thank the first responders who worked tirelessly through the night to contain the situation and treat the wounded.

"My Administration, through FEMA and other agencies, is in close contact with our state and local partners on the ground to make sure there are no unmet needs as search and rescue and response operations continue. West is a town that many Texans hold near and dear to their hearts, and as residents continue to respond to this tragedy, they will have the support of the American people."

Authorities have set up a hotline to check on potentially injured residents. The number is 254-202-1100.

Click Here For Stunning Images From The West, Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion >

Here is one amateur video of the explosion. Around 30 seconds in, an explosion occurs: