Explosion rocks historic Texas hotel in Fort Worth, 21 people injured
Explosion rocks historic Texas hotel in Fort Worth (Getty Images)
A big explosion happened at an old hotel in Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday, 21 people were injured, with one in critical condition. The hotel, called Sandman Signature, was being worked on, and a gas leak is considered to cause the blast, according to NBC News.
The blast broke windows and scattered debris like doors and walls on the road. Rescuers found some people stuck in the basement. Fifteen people went to the hospital, and six were in serious condition.
The hotel, known as Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel, was established in 1920 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. The hotel had more than two dozen rooms in use at the time.
The blast happened in the afternoon during the workweek. The area around the hotel was busy, close to the Fort Worth Convention Center. Firefighters had to go through broken glass and debris on the street. They asked people to stay away from the area.
The fire department spokesman, Craig Trojacek, said a restaurant in the building was under construction, but they're not sure if that's where the explosion happened. Investigators are looking into the cause. Some parts of the building were hard to reach due to the explosion.
“We had reports of people trapped down in the basement, and because of the explosion that took place, some of those access areas were either covered up or it didn’t feel safe at that point to get people down into,” Trojacek said.
Atmos Energy, a gas company, and state regulators are checking the site. The hotel's owner, a Canadian company called Northland Properties Co., is working with officials to find out what happened.
