explosion in fort worth
- The explosion was reported at the 20-story WT Wagoner Building in Fort Worth, which is home to the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel.
- Part of the building's facade was visibly blown off into an adjacent parking lot along 8th Street. The explosion is believed to have been caused by natural gas, but this has not yet been confirmed.
- Authorities confirmed 21 people injured, including one seriously injured and four seriously injured. The remaining injuries were minor. 2 block area evacuated.
A natural gas leak is suspected to have been the cause of an explosion that ripped through at least two floors of a high-rise hotel in downtown Fort Worth and injured nearly 20 people Monday afternoon, ATF and the Fort Worth Fire Department said.
The explosion was reported at the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel in the 800 block of Houston Street around 3:30 p.m. Officials confirmed Monday afternoon that 21 people were injured in the explosion, one seriously and four seriously.
At least two stories of glass and exterior walls on the building's Eighth Street facade were blown out onto the street and into the parking lot on the west side.
Damage to the first floor was described by authorities as “severe.” The explosion also damaged the sidewalk and appears to have exposed the lower floors of the building. Authorities have not yet released details of the damage to the tower structure.
The Fort Worth Fire Department is leading the investigation into the explosion and said Monday that while the cause of the explosion has not yet been confirmed, construction was occurring in the building and the explosion was likely caused by a gas leak. . ATF, which had agents on scene, agreed.
Fort Worth police said Tuesday that investigators were working to recover debris one wheelbarrow at a time.
“There's a smell of gas here downtown. We don't know if the smell of gas came from the explosion and fire itself or if that's what caused the explosion. But that's what we're looking into. '' Craig said. Trojaczyk of the Fort Worth Fire Department.
At 6 p.m., Trojaczyk and MedStar Ambulance's Matt Zavadsky confirmed that the number of people injured in the explosion had increased from 11 to 21, and that one person who had been reported missing had been found. . Zabatsky said 20 people were treated at the scene or transported to area hospitals, with one in critical condition, four in critical condition and 14 in mild condition. Officials said one person entered the JPS on their own after the explosion.
There were no reports of deaths.
The explosion occurred inside the W.T. Wagoner Building, a 20-story tower built more than 100 years ago along Eighth Avenue between Houston and Throckmorton. This building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. In 2019, the property was acquired by Northland Properties and converted into the 245-room Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel. The CEO of Northland Properties is Tom Gagradi, owner of the Dallas Stars.
The hotel issued a statement late Monday saying it was working closely with emergency responders and authorities “to understand the cause of the incident and the extent of the damage caused.”
Search and rescue found no additional victims
Late Monday afternoon, Trojaczyk said 26 rooms at the hotel were occupied when the explosion occurred. A preliminary search of the building concluded around 5:30 p.m. and no additional victims were found.
In an update Monday around 9 p.m., Fort Worth Fire officials said search and rescue efforts would continue overnight using specially trained dogs to ensure no one gets trapped. The Fort Worth Fire Department released an update Tuesday morning, saying search and rescue operations continued through the night and into the morning, with no additional victims found.
Roads closed in 'hot zone' around hotel
Several roads in Fort Worth remained closed Tuesday morning, with the area classified as a hot zone or immediate danger zone.
Throckmorton Street will be closed from West 7th Street to West 9th Street, and Houston Street will be closed from West 7th Street. to West 9th Street. West 8th Street is closed from Throckmorton to Main Street.
People working in hot zones have not yet been given permission to return to the office. Police said those outside the hot zone can go about their business as usual.
Tarrant County Judge Tim O'Hare on Monday afternoon ordered staff in the county's downtown buildings, excluding jails and law enforcement, to close for the day.
Fort Worth Stock Show parade could be affected by explosion
The Fort Worth Stock Show parade will be held on Saturday and could be affected by the explosion. Cleanup is expected to take several days, and officials are considering ways to make the area safe for the parade.
The parade route is scheduled to begin at the Tarrant County Courthouse on Main Street and proceed south through Sundance Plaza to Ninth Street, where it will turn west onto Houston Street. The parade then flows north down Houston Street, past the Wagoner Building on 8th Street, and ends back at the Tarrant County Courthouse.
Plans for the parade could change if Houston Street is still in the “hot zone” come Saturday.
“We remain in close contact with Fort Worth city officials regarding the tragedy at the Sandman Signature Hotel and its potential impact on the Stock Show Parade scheduled for Saturday, January 13th. We recognize that our hope is that the parade will take place as planned. “We recognize the importance of the ongoing investigation into the incident and the need to ensure the safety of parade spectators and participants. We will notify participants and the public as soon as decisions regarding the parade are made and express our support and concern to those injured in the tragedy, as well as the first responders who came to their aid. is.
People who were near the explosion recall the shocking sound of the explosion, and debris everywhere.
Sherry Lindley was in a high-rise apartment building at the time of the explosion and recorded the immediate aftermath.
“It was just a sonic boom that shook the building,” Lindley said. “I could see the rubble, but it was just smoke rising. Obviously, in the video, I'm just rambling in shock.”
“As a downtown resident, we urgently need to find out why this happened so that we can return to downtown with confidence,” Lindley said.
As I got to the ground, a woman named Myra passed by with tears in her eyes. She preferred not to share her last name.
“I have been working at the Sandman Hotel for seven months,” Myra said. “I was in my office when I heard the explosion. We were running towards the stairs and the stairs were collapsing.”
Eventually, Mayra and her colleagues were able to evacuate the hotel.
“I saw a lot of dust. There was a lot of smoke and a lot of people screaming.”
Myra said she helped a man whose face was covered in glass. He said he was thankful no one was killed, but that Myra was scared.
The hotel's Musume restaurant said in a statement that it suffered devastating damage in the explosion, but was fortunately closed at the time. There were no customers, but three employees working inside the restaurant were injured and were being treated in a stable condition at a local hospital Monday afternoon, officials said.
A man working at a nearby coffee shop told NBC 5 he heard the explosion and at first thought it was thunder. When he went outside, he said he saw debris and white smoke coming from the building.
Valet agent Adam Woods said he was walking in the area when another valet told him to avoid Eighth Avenue.
“The whole ground floor of the Sandman Hotel, right next to the garage where we park our cars… everything feels like it’s been blown up. People were coming out of the building… it was kind of scary. What should I think? I don't know,'' Woods said. “He was three to five seconds away from me turning down the road. It could have been me. I could see him.” [sic] A woman was also walking along the street and got caught. so sad. “
Allie Morgan
Allie Morgan
Fort Worth explosion scene.
Peter Matthews/FWPD
Glenn E. Elman/FWPD
Glenn E. Elman/FWPD
Peter Matthews/FWPD
Glenn E. Elman/FWPD
Glenn E. Elman/FWPD
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement Monday afternoon saying he was ready to “immediately deploy the additional personnel and resources necessary to keep Texans in our region safe and out of harm's way.”
Atmos Energy worked with the fire department to shut off the gas supply at the hotel on Monday. ATF is assisting at the scene, and a spokesperson for the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates the state's natural gas pipeline system, confirmed to NBC 5 that the agency is sending inspectors to the scene.
Fire officials confirmed that construction was underway at the hotel, but it was unclear what the construction was or whether it contributed to the explosion.
If you suspect a natural gas leak, leave the area immediately. Dial 911 from a safe distance and call Atmos Energy's 24-hour toll-free emergency number, 1-866-322-8667.
