Accidents at industrial sites can sometimes have devastating results. Such accidents sometimes result in numerous deaths and injuries.
As one has likely heard by now, a truly tragic event recently occurred at an industrial site in Texas. The site in question was a fertilizer plant of West Fertilizer Co. in West, Texas.
Slightly before 8 p.m. last Wednesday, a giant explosion occurred at the plant. The explosion resulted in at least 14 deaths. Many of the individuals who were killed were first responders.
In addition to the deaths, the explosion had a huge injury count. Reportedly, upwards of 200 people were hurt by the explosion.
The explosion also resulted in many businesses and homes that were in the area being damaged/destroyed.
Reportedly, authorities have, thus far, found no evidence indicating that criminal activity was behind the explosion. Thus, it appears that the explosion was an industrial accident.
When an industrial accident occurs, the subsequent investigation of the accident by authorities can be extremely important. The investigation of an industrial accident can play a major role in revealing what was responsible for an accident occurring and what sorts of actions industrial companies should be taking to prevent similar accidents. Such investigations can often take a while to complete as they will often be looking at many different things and involve many different aspects.
An investigation is currently underway in regards to the fertilizer plant explosion. Reportedly, investigators have not yet determined what specifically caused the incident to occur. Investigators have, however, discovered where in the plant the explosion originated. One wonders what further findings investigators will make as the investigation of this tragic event continues.
Source: NBC News, “Officials still don’t know what caused Texas fertilizer explosion,” Daniel Arkin and Gabe Gutierrez, April 21, 2013