The West Fertilizer Plant Explosion

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The West Fertilizer Plant Explosion
On April 17, 2013, the community of West, Texas, suffered a devastating and heartbreaking event in the evening hours. After a fire broke out inside the West Fertilizer plant, a massive explosion leveled the facility, caused millions of dollars in damage to surrounding buildings, and took the lives of over a dozen people. Sadly, the majority of those killed were volunteer firefighters who had responded to the fire and were unable to retreat to a safe distance before the explosion. Nearly 200 injuries were also reported to have been treated at local hospitals (Wood, 2013). The explosion was said to be caused by the combination of the fire and large stores of ammonium nitrate fertilizer at the plant.
This catastrophic event received immediate coverage from news agencies and journalists across the country. Multiple local, state, and federal Agencies responded to the scene as first responders and post event investigators. The 6th Civil Support Team of the Texas Army National Guard was sent to the scene the following day to assist (Hoffman, 2013). The United States Geological Survey reported that the blast registered the same as a 2.1 magnitude earthquake. It was said to have destroyed 140 homes and several other buildings to include a middle school and a retirement home (Hemenway, 2013b). Investigators said that the blast had left a crater measuring nearly ten feet deep and as much as 100 feet wide. President Obama issued a statement the day after:
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 th...

... middle of paper ...

...erty & Casualty 360, 117(7),
22.

Hoffman, M. (2013, April 18). Guard sent to test air after fertilizer explosion.
Military.com News. Retrieved from http://www.military.com/daily-news/2013/04/18/guard-sent-to-test-air-after-fertilizer-explosion.html

Jonsson, P. (2013, May 10). Unexpected twists in case of deadly blast at Texas fertilizer plant.
Christian Science Monitor. p. N.PAG

M2.1 Explosion - 1km NNE of West, Texas (2013, April 18). U.S. Geological Survey.
Retreived from http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/usb000g9yl#summary

Obama, B. (2013). Statement on the Explosion at the West Fertilizer Company Plant in West,
Texas. Daily Compilation of Presidential Documents, 1. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/07/us-usa-explosion-texas-idUSBRE9460GP2013... Patnaik, P. Handbook of Inorganic Chemicals. McGraw-Hill, 2002, ISBN 0-07-049439-8

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