A historic Fort Worth hotel faced a harrowing incident on Monday as a massive explosion rocked the downtown area, leaving behind a trail of destruction and injuring 21 individuals, one critically.
The aftermath saw firefighters diligently scouring the wreckage of the Sandman Signature Hotel, a 20-story structure built in 1920 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979.
Community in Crisis: Unraveling the Aftermath of a Devastating Calamity
As investigators work to unravel the cause, the community grapples with the shock and aftermath of the calamity.
The explosion, believed to be triggered by a gas leak, shattered windows, blew doors and sections of the hotel’s wall into the streets, and left 21 people injured.
Authorities reported that rescuers found several individuals trapped in the basement during the initial response. By evening, everyone was believed to have been accounted for, though firefighters with search dogs continued combing through the rubble overnight.
The Fort Worth fire department, in collaboration with state and federal investigators and utility workers, is striving to determine the exact cause of the explosion.
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Fort Worth Authorities Join Forces to Uncover Explosion’s Origins
The department stated on Tuesday that no additional victims were found, and the area around the hotel would remain closed. Ambulances and emergency medical services in Fort Worth transported 15 injured individuals to hospitals, with one in critical condition and six others in semi-critical condition.
Eyewitnesses described the chaotic aftermath, with debris scattered across the streets. Charlie Collier, who was working nearby, recalled witnessing a large flash and hearing what sounded like thunder. “Everything that was in the first couple of floors of the building was blown out all over the street,” he said.
Rebecca Martinez, who was in a nearby building, described hearing a loud crack and witnessing a wall of dust and debris sweeping through the streets. Moments later, a strong smell of natural gas prompted her to evacuate the area.
The chaotic scene made it challenging for rescuers to reach certain parts of the building immediately after the blast.
Authorities suspect a gas leak as the cause of the explosion, though the specific source is yet to be determined. Craig Trojacek, a fire department spokesman, mentioned that a restaurant in the building was under construction, but it is unclear if the blast originated there.
Technicians from Atmos Energy, a Dallas-based natural gas distributor, examined the blast site on Monday.
The Railroad Commission of Texas, the state’s oil and gas regulator, also dispatched an inspector to collaborate with local authorities. Northland Properties Co., the Canadian company that owns the hotel, is working with officials to ascertain the explosion’s cause and the extent of the damage.
The Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel, initially known as the Waggoner Building, has stood since 1920, with its historical significance recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.
The building, owned by Northland Properties Co., houses the Japanese restaurant Musume, which features a private dining room set within one of the decades-old original bank vaults.
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