Friday night in Northwest Houston (state of Texas) there was an explosion at a manufacturing plant, followed by a powerful fire.
According to authorities, the explosion at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing occurred at about 4:15 a.m. local time at 4525 Gessner Road, approximately 18 miles away to the North-West of the city centre.
According to the chief of the Houston police Art Acevedo, the enterprise was enveloped in a ball of fire and debris flew half a mile from the scene.
pic.twitter.com/JgfP7V1O87
— Joey Charpentier (@BattleNub19) January 24, 2020
Details about what caused the explosion is still unknown. At least one person was injured by broken glass and taken to hospital, said the captain of the fire brigade of Houston’s Oscar Garcia.
Many houses in the area were damaged, they are broken Windows and broken doors, and in one house collapsed.
«At first I thought the house was hit by lightning, — the local resident told channel KTRK.. But then saw that storm on the street. No one can understand what happened.»
«The blast blew out all the Windows in our house, the injured and the garage,» said mark Brady, who lives about a half mile from Watson Grinding and Manufacturing.
Jose Ramos just gave me these photos from inside his daughter’s home. Cracked Ceiling, sliding doors blown in. Ok Everyone. Kids were terrified, he says. #abc13 #houstonexplosion pic.twitter.com/AzMUOmnK9U
— Courtney Fischer (@CourtneyABC13) January 24, 2020
Orders to evacuate were not.
«Emergency checks of people living near the site. Firefighters continue to extinguish the fire,» he tweeted the Sheriff of Harris County ed Gonzalez.
The school district said it plans to conduct a full day of school, although the buses can go with delays.
«Kids today will not walk on the street, as it continues the monitoring of air quality in the area,» said school district.
