The Sandman Signature Hotel, located in the heart of Fort Worth, Texas, suffered an intense explosion that caused substantial structural damage to the building and left at least 21 people injured, one of them in critical condition and two others in serious condition.
Fort Worth authorities reported this Monday that there was an explosion possibly caused by a gas leak near W. 7th Street and Houston Street. The incident, which began around 3:30 p.m., scattered debris across an entire block, including concrete slabs and remains of windows and other parts of the exterior.
According to Craig Trojacek, spokesperson for the Fort Worth Fire Department, the initial emergency call was for a structural fire alarm, but then multiple calls were received reporting an explosion.
“We do know that there was some construction that was being done down at the restaurant. We’re not 100% sure that that’s where it actually started at this point in time,” Trojacek reported.
Local authorities later said the explosion was suspected to have been caused by a gas leak. However, the cause has not yet been officially confirmed as the investigation is still ongoing.
6:30PM Update:
-There was fire that was extinguished
-FD extricated multiple patients & located the missing person (alive); still searching
-Patient Count: 21 people
-Has characteristics of a gas explosion- but it's still under investigation at this time#FWDowntownAlert pic.twitter.com/21zgBKACyd— Fort Worth Fire Department (@FortWorthFire) January 9, 2024
Atmos Energy crews worked to shut off the gas supply to the surrounding area, and according to Trojacek, firefighters managed to rescue several people trapped in the basement of the 20-story hotel.
Greg Abbott’s statement
After the news of the explosion, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a statement informing that he had been in contact with Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, Sheriff Bill Waybourn and other local authorities to learn details about the incident and the emergency efforts that were carried out.
“We continue to monitor the situation and stand ready to immediately deploy any additional personnel and resources needed to keep Texans in the area safe and out of harm’s way,” he said. Likewise, the governor asked all Texans to take a few minutes to pray for both the injured and those who helped during the incident.
