Explosion Fertiliser Plant near Waco, Texas 18th April 2013

[JennyLeez]

UP to 70 people are reportedly dead and hundreds injured after an explosion at a fertiliser plant in Texas that levelled buildings and forced an entire town to be evacuated.

Babies and the elderly are among those injured in the blast, with homes within a four-block radius of the fertiliser plant flattened and several more on fire.

The massive explosion happened about 10.50am AEST at West Fertilizer, in the town of West, 30km north of Waco.

The town of 2,800 residents has been ordered to evacuate as toxic smoke from the explosion spreads.

 Five firefighters and one police officer believed to be among the 70 people dead.

Read more:

Update 4.45pm
Every house within about four blocks is blown apart.
Fires can not be contained. Spreading from house to house.
Population or around 2,800 have been evacuate as toxic smoke from the explosion spreads

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[Deano]

This was filmed by a couple watching the fire from a distance.
http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/Auckland/video/video-texas-fertilizer-explosion-18apr2013

[Suezy]

Thanks for that Deano and the children did not like being there either.  What a frightful thing for them to be involved in.  It is such a dreadful tragedy with so many lives lost and being such a small town too where just about everyone would know just about everyone else.
Some sites mentioned that it registered as a 2.1 and others a 2.5 on the US site that records  quakes.
Jenny and I were following it for sometime too.

[Suezy]

They are keeping a Live update on Newstalk ZB if you wish to follow it.  Just roll down and find the latest on it.

http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/christchurch/news/nbint/west-texas-fertilizer-explosion-live-updates-18apr2013