Authorities claimed that one person was in serious condition after an explosion on Monday at a historic hotel in Fort Worth, Texas, shattered windows, and left downtown streets littered with big portions of building rubble. The explosion injured twenty-one individuals.
Rescuers rescued many individuals from the basement of the 20-story hotel after the explosion threw doors and parts of the building onto the street outside. Ambulance and emergency medical services provider MedStar in Fort Worth reported that six of the fifteen patients sent to hospitals were in "semi-critical" condition. Officials have not yet confirmed anyone's disappearance, but firemen said late Monday that they will keep scouring the building.
According to authorities, the Sandman Signature Hotel had over twenty rooms occupied at that period. The hotel had been under construction when the explosion occurred in the middle of the afternoon, at the beginning of the workweek. Authorities have stated that they suspect a gas leak caused the explosion.
"Debris was present. Insulation was present. The Associated Press was informed by Charlie Collier, a 31-year-old, that there was office furniture. He reported hearing what sounded like thunder and saw a huge flash while working in the area.
The first two stories of the building were leveled and everything on them was scattered across the street," he proclaimed.
Approximately one street away from the Fort Worth Convention Center lies the Sandman Signature Hotel, which is located in a bustling downtown neighborhood. News helicopters captured footage of firemen sifting through the debris that covered the roadway outside the hotel, which included drywall, shattered glass, and twisted metal. People were asked by authorities not to go there.
The Fort Worth Fire Department's Craig Trojacek claimed that the building had a restaurant that had been under construction, but that it was not certain where the explosion had taken place.
Residents of the surrounding buildings, including Rebecca Martinez, reported a resounding crack and the subsequent passage of a cloud of dust and rubble across the city streets. When she went outside to investigate, she saw a guy and a woman leaning against a fire hydrant.
Martinez saw that the man's face was covered with blood. "Then I became aware of the strong odor of natural gas and considered leaving the area." According to her, the authorities ordered the evacuation of her building and parts of the neighborhood shortly after.
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