FORT WORTH — An explosion at a historic Fort Worth hotel on Monday injured 21 people, blew out windows and left downtown streets covered in debris, authorities said. One of the injured was in critical condition.
Rescue crews found several people trapped in the basement of the 20-story building in the heart of Fort Worth, said Craig Trojacek, spokesman for the Fort Worth Fire Department.
Investigators believe the explosion was caused by natural gas, said U.S. Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) spokeswoman Sara Abel. Four people were in serious condition and the others were taken to hospitals with minor injuries, authorities indicated at a press conference.
The Sandman Signature hotel is located in a busy area in the center of the city, one block from the Fort Worth Convention Center. News broadcasts aired aerial footage showing firefighters using pickaxes to cut through drywall, broken glass and twisted metal that littered the street in front of the hotel. Authorities asked the population to avoid the area.
“There is a smell of gas in the area and there were windows and things flying out of the structure,” Trojacek stated.
Trojacek added that work was underway in a restaurant at the hotel, but added that there was no certainty that the explosion had occurred there.
A video posted on social media showed a man sitting in a corner in front of the explosion site and hugging a woman. The man appeared to have blood on his forehead, and a paramedic was kneeling in front of him to tend to his wounds.
A gray haze covered the streets of downtown Fort Worth as firefighters walked through the rubble. Remains of the building were scattered across the street and on parked vehicles. Large holes could also be seen in the ground.
State Rep. Nicole Collier, whose district office is located about eight blocks from the hotel, said she did not hear the explosion but heard the sirens of emergency vehicles and helicopters flying overhead. Collier said she tried to walk to the scene, but emergency personnel had already closed several blocks and advised people to stay away.
According to its website, the Sandman Signature Hotel Fort Worth Downtown has 245 rooms and was built in 1920 as the “Wagoner Building,” which was named after rancher and oilman William Thomas Wagoner. The building has been part of the National Register of Historic Places since 1979.
Source: With information from AP
