>> the blast shows a plume of smoke in the air. and the u.s. geological survey says the blast was a magnitude 2.1. >> we do have confirmed fatalities. the number is not current yet. it could go up by the minute. we're in there searching the area right now. and making sure that it any of the other people around there, and the firefighters are trying to be safe. there's a lot of wind and there's still small flames and they don't want to get the firefighters hurt or injured inside the blast area. i can tell you, i was there. i walked through the blast area. i searched some houses earlier tonight. massive. just like iraq. just like the murray building in oklahoma city. same kind of thing exploded. so you can imagine what kind of

damage we're looking at there. i know there was at least 75 to -- 50 to 75 houses damaged. there's an apartment complex that has about 50 units in it that was completely -- just skeleton standing up. there's a nursing home in the area with 133 people in the nursing home. we've got them evacuated. i don't know what their injuries there are right now. but all injuries have been removed from the scene and taken to the hospital. we have numerous injuries helping us from the dallas-ft. worth area, the county, limestone, and all the surrounding areas. so we've had a great turnout to come out to help us get through this tragedy we've had in this small community. i wish i could give you more information. all the injured right now have been taken care of. we're going to go back in and do another house-by-house search and see if anybody else is in

the houses. that's going to be going on all night. so we have a command post set up for the law enforcement and command post set up for the emergency units also and we have a triage center set up at the community center. >> what's the status of the plant right now? >> it's still smolders. right now they did not give us any update. there still is active, you know, other ingredients there on the facility. so we don't want that to explode again. so right now we cannot get firefighters in there. we're worried about people right now, not property. we want people to be safe. that's our main goal is getting the people safe and out of there. >> as you heard, emergency officials are saying between 60 and 80 homes. a volunteer firefighter tweeted this picture of that apartment building, and there are reports that a school and nursing home have been badly damaged. rescue workers have been unable

to get close to the plant because the fire is still burning, still releasing toxic chemicals into the air. there are fears that a second large fertilizer tank may explode. >> if you need more information about the victims of this fertilizer plant explosion in texas, the hillcrest hospital has set up an information hotline to call. grab your pen if you need to get this number down. it is 254-202-1100. that number again, 254-202-1100. we want to show you an image that really illustrates the level of damage near the blast site. it is posted on twitter. there it is again for those viewers who may have just joined us. that is the apartment building near the fertilizer plant.

you've heard officials describe the damage as something out of a war zone. this image certainly fits that description. total destruction of that apartment block. i want to show you also exactly where this explosion took place, the west fertilizer plant is in the small town of west, texas, 18 miles north of waco, about 28 kilometers. and west, texas is home to about 2,800 people. so talking about a small town here. >> okay. let's go to d.l. wilson, we heard from him earlier in the broadcast. he's now on the line. mr. wilson, thank you for being with us. can you bring us the latest from the scene? what is the most pressing concern? >> we're still in the area looking for any survivors or anyone injured in the area. that's the main concern getting the people that need help help.

right now i don't know of any other people that we have in our trauma centers set up. so the main thing is putting the fires out if we can get close to those and make sure everybody is safe in the community. >> why didn't you get close to the fire right now? what is the main concern? >> there's other chemicals and fertilizer still in the facility there, and we do not want to injure or harm any firefighters, ems people that need to go to that area to extinguish that. there's experts on the scene that are working diligently to see if they can work through that. we're going to have a cold front come through here about 6:00, 7:00 in the morning and the wind is going to shift. so we're monitoring that. they have things that they're looking at for that, if we need to evacuate any others. >> what's the plan with the

fire? is it just basically try to burn itself out, is that where this stands right now? >> i'm not for sure. the firefighters are taking care of business the way they need to take care of it. but it's just too dangerous right now what i was explained. the damage is done around that area, and the immediate area has been cleared of injured folks. so we're just trying to make sure we don't get anybody else injured. >> do you think you've checked all of the houses which have been damaged? do you believe you have accounted for everybody at this stage? >> well, i was one of the first responders to get into the area. when they put the all-help call out for all police agencies and firefighters in the area. i actually searched numerous houses myself. and i got some people to come out of their houses.

the houses were windows blown through, doors blown off the hinges and a lot of glass and debris everywhere in the 50 to 75 houses that i saw that were damaged. at that time, before they cleared all the ems workers out again due to the fact the plant might explode from secondary explosions, i did not see any other victims or people in the area. so that's a good sign. so hopefully we got everybody out of there. >> at this hour, the search is continuing. the emergency workers and the police, the first responders, are they still going house to house? >> sure, yeah. we're going to continue doing that all night, when we feel it's safe to do so, we'll go through there all night, try to get a count of all the residents. it's a small community, about 2,800 people live in the community. just like any other small town, we're going to know if people are missing and if they need to

be accounted for. so there may be a particular house we need to look at instead of a wide search. >> finally, sir, how are people dealing with this? what are they been telling you? i imagine a lot of people are in shock right now? >> i haven't gone out to meet many people. just in the duties i have to perform right now. just talking to a few folks, the surrounding communities have just -- we're here at a facility, auction born and supplies, water, diapers, clothes is just piling up to the ceiling. people are out trying to help this community get through this. this is a small community, and just real good people, and sad that it happens to anybody. we're hoping the town can pull together and get through this. >> well, it is texas.

sir, thank you very much. we appreciate it. d.l. wilson of the texas patrol giving us the latest from the police point of view, from the emergency responder's point of you on the situation in west, texas. >> we're going to go back to our martin savidge who is there on the scene. we heard from martin just a short time ago. bring us up to date on the new information that you have on this fire and explosion and the aftermath of this fertilizer plant. >> we're at the command post, set up at a cattle action site. we are told that there is going to be a briefing coming up in the next few minutes. so there is a large gathering of the media here. a whole stack of microphones as we wait to hear the latest information. right now, there are a number of concerns. i think they were expressed by the highway patrol officer, that they are looking for those who still may be trapped or injured.

and then there's going to be this problem with the weather shift coming in. that's expected around daylight. wind shift, rains coming and a lot of things that will make their efforts more difficult. i was talking to a number of the residents. they have come here because like everybody else, they were evacuated. they don't know where to go and trying to find out exactly what is happening in their community. it is a small town, 2800 people and as a result of that, people here, a lot of them know one another and know those affected. i was talking to 76-year-old ellenor castro. she said she was in her bathroom at the time of the blast, and it was so forceful, she had to grab onto the sink just to keep upright. she said then the power went out, and nobody knew what had happened. they were -- immediately neighbors came out. windows were shattered and homes are partially destroyed. so we're just watching now as it

looks like a fire official is coming to the microphones. and i'm going to listen in here. >> we're obviously going to have difficulties listening from our vantage point. but certainly our martin savidge will keep an eye on that news conference and bring us the main details as they come through to him. but at this point, we're learning, of course, the main concerns, looking for those people trapped in the rubble of the aftermath of this fire and explosion. there's fears of the possibility of another explosion. that is a concern for any of those first responders there. there's a fertilizer truck that is causing a lot of concern. by daybreak, we are expecting a shift in the winds, and with that, of course, brings even more concerns for those

responders on the ground there. so we're looking at those aerial shots. the fire that sparked this explosion. we know that half of that town of west, texas has been evacuated. so the whole town is about 2,800 people, talking about 1,400. it looks like -- we certainly got a official there on this news conference. let's listen in. >> there was a fire at the west fertilizer company in downtown west, texas. once that fire started, their fire department responded. numerous firefighters went to the scene to assist in putting that fire out. as they were at the scene, they realized the seriousness of what they had based on it being a fertilizer plant. we knew there was ammonia in there. we realized the volatility of that, and how explosive it could be. they immediately started doing some evacuations of homes, of

businesses, trying to get people out of the area. approximately 50 minutes of their response, there was a massive explosion at that fertilizer plant. they were in the process of removing people from homes, a nursing home in the area, and also an apartment complex. i can tell you from me driving to the scene there, there is quite a bit of devastation in that area. there are victims that were in homes. there are victims from the nursing home. and there are victims also from an apartment complex. i can tell you that once they started trying to clear the injured out, there were a tremendous response from law enforcement agencies, the sheriff's department, waco pd, waco fire, the county emergency

management, and other numerous agencies responded to west to assist. many ambulance companies, medical personnel also assisted here, as well. and they are still here, trying to help and get the wounded out. most of the wounded are being taken to a local hospital, where they're being triaged. they're also setting that up as a resource center for people to be evaced, because we are evacuating homes in the area based on the ongoing danger of the fires that were still there. some are still going on. they got most of them under control. but they are trying to move people out and get them evacuated out of that area still. at this point, we don't know the number that have been killed. i will confirm there have been fatalities. i think we will see those fay it wills increase as we get towards the morning.

numerous injuries have been moved from the scene to a hospital. we've taken them into waco, to hillcrest, and providence hospital where they're being treated. hillcrest hospital is our primary trauma care center. the majority of the injured were taken there. the overflow was taken to providence hospital as well inside waco. at this time, we are still trying to evacuate some of the homes. we're going house to house, business to business, and we're seeing quite a bit of devastation in that area. what they're trying to do is move people away still. they're having to be very cautious, because there is structural damage to homes and businesses. we have to be very cautious because of there being gas lines. our utility systems are here.

they have entered the area and are cutting off the main flow of gas, they're cutting off power so we don't have secondary fire from electricity. so we're currently still there. many agencies are here assisting west pd. i can tell you that the mayor has been here earlier tonight. he's also a firefighter for this city. it has taken a toll on him, because he knows potentially he's lost some firefighters. i can confirm there may be firefighters that are unaccounted for, and potentially a law enforcement officer, as well. we're still trying to determine that. obviously they were there on scene directing traffic, and fighting the fire and helping with the evacuation. again, we don't know a hard number of the fatality count. as soon as we can get that, we'll get that information to you. they were still pulling people out of some of the homes.

yes, people are trapped. are they still at this point finding them? i don't know. we did find some earlier. they are still going from house to house. my guess is they're going to find some people still trapped. [ inaudible question ] >> i know that they have shut areas of utilities and power off to not only the immediate blast area, but other areas that think think may be affected. a lot of that is ongoing and that is a process. i will tell you there's been a tremendous amount of resources and outpouring from the community. not only here in west, those of you that don't know west, it's about 2,800 people. they are a very close nit, tight nit community here. they have relied heavily on each other tonight for the support that they've got. they have relied heavily on the outpouring of support from

addition additional agencies around the area. we have seen involvement not only from the county, which is where we are, but we're seeing surrounding agencies from additional counties in and around the county that are here helping. there has been a huge outpouring of that. there's a law enforcement command post set up. there's an incident command post set up. they have haz/mat people on scene. they are working with some of the local neurologists he s - lol gist -- meteorologists. the winds will shift to the north in the morning, so we're looking at another area that may be affected once the winds shift. we're still in the process of trying to get people out and get them to help and also those that have not been injured but

affected by the blast, we're trying to get them somewhere where they're safe for the night. >> it was reported there were 50 to 60 fatalities. >> i don't know who the doctor was that confirmed that. i have not heard that number. let me call on you so we don't just get too crazy here. somebody over here. yes, sir? [ inaudible question ] >> they were still moving people out of the immediate area. i don't know how far-ranging that was. it's my guess at this point they're trying to keep people from coming into the area. absolutely for safety reasons, because we don't know yet. we haven't been able to assess totalling the damage and what

harm may lay there. [ inaudible ] >> i know that there was a small contingent of firefighters that went back into the plant, based on there being a fire burning underneath several ammonium tanks that they were very concerned about. if those catch or get to a flashpoint, obviously those would go and we would have second or third explosions. they had that fire under control, and i don't think that is any longer a threat. [ inaudible question ] . >> i can't verify that. i know the mayor is here. yes, sir? i don't know that, sir. [ inaudible question ]

>> the abundance of caution of what? [ inaudible ] >> because we don't know. we don't know the numbers yet. they are still pulling victims out. they are still bringing victims to triage. and until we have a good estimate, we don't want to guess. we want to be very specific with you and give you facts, not guesses. yes, ma'am? [ inaudible question ] >> when i first got here, my assignment was to go into the command post. they moved me after i got there, but on the way in, i saw homes that were burning. there were homes that had significant devastation. some homes were leveled. it was almost tornadic in effect. it looked like to me one home

would be fine but the next two or three would be extreme devastation. >> at this moment, are more than zero confirmed dead? >> yes, we have confirmed fatalities. >> how many are confirmed dead? >> i'm not giving a number. but there are confirmed fatalities. [ inaudible ] >> ems, fire, let me make sure i'm clear on that. we know fire was there. we now law enforcement was there assisting with traffic. and i believe there were ems. i have -- i will tell you this, i heard that there was a helicopter somewhere on scene that actually sustained some damage in the blast. i'm working to confirm that, as well. i don't know for sure if that's a fact or not. >> any indication as to the

cause of fire? >> no. at this point we don't know. that is something they'll look at whether that is a criminal activity or just a fire that got sparked in some type of chemical reaction. [ inaudible ] >> certainly air quality is a concern. there are people here that are well versed in what that issue may be. they're looking at all the weather events going on around us, where the clouds may drift, what potentially is in that cloud and what may or may not cause harm. [ inaudible ] >> we know it's coming, and they have evac plans. [ inaudible ] >> we don't know. again, you have to understand this is a downtown area. when i say downtown area, there

are businesses there, a nursing home was there, there are homes in the area. it is going into a mid-sized city and having to search it home by home, business by business, block by block. it is a very tedious process. they have to be extremely careful. the reason utilities have been shut off, we don't want anybody else injured, stepping on live wires. that's all part of what they're having to be very cautious about. [ inaudible ] >> i know there were numerous people injured at the nursing home. most of those were in the process of being evacuated. i don't have a confirmation about whether there was anybody killed. [ inaudible ] >> hold on just a second, guys.

[ inaudible ] >> i do not. yes, sir? [ inaudible ] >> can you give us an estimate how many structures are levelled? >> i cannot. not until the morning until we know the true devastation about what occurred. if you saw the video, you saw how dramatic the explosion was. it was a huge explosion and it -- depending on what was around it, the concussion could be far ranging. yes, sir? [ inaudible ]

>> i'm being told that those are used by the ground teams to clear houses. i don't know the significance of the colors at this point. one more question. [ inaudible question ] >> i don't know at this point. hopefully in the morning we will be able to give you much more detail on how far-reaching it was. i will get back with you as we have new information. i will tell you i appreciate y'all being here and waiting for this information. i know you're wanting to get to where maybe you can see more of it. i would ask that you not to, because it is not safe. it is not safe for you to go here. so please remain here with us. as we can, we're coming out and giving you bits and pieces. [ inaudible ] >> we've been listening to a sergeant with the waco police sergeant, he's also a spokesperson for the waco

police. giving us some valuable information, some updated information there. what he has said is that there are still fires which continue to burn. we know that, but he did say that the fire under one of the chemical tanks, there was some threat of a possible explosion. he believes that that threat is no longer there. he also said that this search, going to from door to door, this process of looking for anybody who may still be trapped is continuing. and it is a slow, pain staking process, and it seems that right now, everybody is just simply waiting until first light. it is 27 past 3:00 in the morning eastern time. 27 past 2:00 in the morning in texas. so now everyone that's waiting for the sun to come up to assess the full damage of this blast and it seems that they are also preparing for what appears to be a fairly significant change in the weather, which could come in the next few hours.

>> and sergeant swanton was very careful to avoid giving any numbers on fatality. of course, people calling for this, there had been an earlier report of 60 to 70 people dead. he said i have no idea where those numbers came from. he will not give out any of those numbers. he doesn't want any guess work on this. people will get that number in a number of hours from now. he says they don't know yet the total damage. they don't know if there are people still trapped in there. they said numerous people injured at the nursing home. doesn't have a number on that. an interesting point that was raised there. he was asked about how this fire occurred. he said he doesn't know if this fire was a criminal act or sparked by some chemical reaction. interesting point there. but they have turned off the power, and that is to reduce injuries. they are being very cautious. >> what we've been hearing over and over again is the primary

focus right now is on saving lives, getting people out of the scene, getting them evacuated and then they will try and take care of the fire and then comes the investigation into how this was caused. we heard this from the fire department, the hospitals and now the police department from waco, essentially saying the primary focus is on saving lives and trying to take care of these people who have lost their homes. >> and we're going to continue to follow this story. we'll take a short break and have more when we come back. stay with us. when, but thieves can steal your identity and turn your life upside down. >> hi. >> hi. you know, i can save you 15% today if you open up a charge card account with us. >> you just read my mind. >> announcer: just one little piece of information and they can open bogus accounts, stealing your credit, your money and ruining your reputation. that's why you need lifelock to relentlessly protect what matters most... [beeping...]

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firefighters and possibly a police officer may be missing at this time. there's still a lot of questions, we're trying to piece it together. half the town has been evacuated. those toxic fumes pour from the ruins of the plant and dozens of homes, hundreds of emergency workers are at the scene and federal safety authorities are being sent to investigate. >> martin savidge joins us once again on the line. i get the feeling that right now maybe without putting words in his mouth, that the worst of this disaster has now past. they're still checking for people who may have been wounded, those who may still be trapped in their homes, but now everyone seems to be waiting until morning. >> reporter: right, that's the way he summarized it. they're doing as much as they

can in the darkness and in the devastation. it is interesting to know that they're still trying to evacuate people, and that is a problem made difficult as a result of the damage that's in the area. roadways are blocked, power lines down, buildings have collapsed. so it's making it difficult, even if they find survivors, to transport them out of harm's way. the anhydrous ammonia are the hum fumes they're worried about. but it seems the injured have been taken to nearby hospitals, primarily in waco. we have over 150 people being treated. they have everything from minor to severe injuries. you also heard that they know there are fatalities. they can confirm that, but they won't give a number. but they do anticipate the number killed is likely to rise

throughout the day. daylight is going to be the biggest assist they get. there are hundreds of responders that have come in, fire, police, emergency rescue personnel. so they're at work inside the area near that fertilizer plant. but the area say around eight or nine blocks around that plant is heavily damaged, extreme devastation is what is being used by those firefighters and first responders that have come into the area there. some of the areas that they have been focusing on was a nursing home that was located just a couple of blocks away from the fertilizer plant. that had at least 153 people in it at the time. there was an apartment complex with at least 50 units and houses nearby that facility, as well. those took the full brunt of the blast. that's the area where you saw the greatest number of injuries and if there are further

fatalities, where they're likely to be found. the way this played out, john, it was rather diabolical in the sense that there was a fire that was reported around 6:00 local time here in the evening, and the firefighters responded. now, the moment they got on site they realized it was no ordinary fire, it was a large fire. they knew the plant, they knew its potential danger. and so they went about starting the evacuations of the immediate nearby properties while still trying to assess how they could fight the fire. they knew evacuation had to come first, because that was the greatest danger to the surrounding population. 50 minutes later, that is when the first devastating explosion happened. and this is why you have the concern that there are law enforcement and emergency personnel who are, as they put it, unaccounted for. because they were there, facing down that blast when it went off trying to evacuate people. it is hard to imagine a more

devastating impact when you have the first responders coming in and the plant blowing up in their face. >> no ordinary fire indeed, which are why there are some firefighters and law enforcement officials among the dead. when we've covered these disasters in the past, we're now nine, ten hours since the initial fire, normally they do give you a death toll. then they update it throughout the evening. is there any clear indication as to why they're not just simply updating the death toll as it goes on? >> reporter: number one, what makes it more difficult is the fact that you have the ongoing threat of further explosion, so you can only go so close to that plant. and then you have the danger of the fumes. so it's complicated by the fact that this plant still has the

ability to claim lives. so both from an emergency responders safety point of view, the focus has been on rescuing those who can be saved. those who cannot be, they're not a high priority at this time, because there is nothing you can do for them. i think that's one of the reasons. this is not say like a car bombing that you might see ov overseas, because once the blast has gone off, the tallies can be done. but here, the danger persists, and then there is a threat of further explosion. so that's why you probably aren't getting an accurate number. >> explain something for me that sergeant swanton said during his press briefing. he talked about the eight or nine blocks around this fertilizer plant and described it as being downtown, that these searches going house to house, business to business. is that how you would describe

it, as its location in west, texas? >> reporter: well, i mean, i have to say i haven't been down to the plant but i have looked at the maps and listened to the officials describe it. it's a small town, and this was a big plant in a small town. and a blast like this has devastated literally the heart of the community. the mayor said he thought it was akin to some sort of almost a nuclear blast. many people had no idea what happened. the explosion was so severe that they knew it wasn't thunder or an earthquake, but they knew it was something devastating. i talked to people here. they're shell shocked. you could see that in their faces. they had that blank stare. it's almost an automatic spoms, yet it's emotional. they're suffering from a devastation within them, on top of the physical devastation that

they witnessed around them. >> yes, of course. and this is just the start. this is only ten hours since the blast. of course, we're now waiting for first light to find out the full extent of the damage to know how many people have been killed and how many buildings destroyed. martin savidge is with us on the line from west, texas. we'll be talking to you as you continue to cover this. >> there is a haunting historical aspect to this story. this fire came one day after the 66th anniversary of the worst industrial accident in american history. that was the texas city disaster. that was another fertilizer explosion, and i'm reading here, that left 581 people dead. that was when a french vessel was hauling ammonium nitrate that caught fire. so a tragic coincidence there. weather, of course, has been a

major concern here. we're watching that very closely, because we expect it to play a very big role as you heard throughout our coverage here. let's go back to our meteorologist ivan cabrera. this is going to make a big difference for first responders. >> they're going to have to contend with severe thunderstorms rolling through. this is horrific time. we knew this front was coming but didn't know what was going to transpire yesterday. here's texas. severe thunderstorm watch now in effect, very close to where we have that fertilizing explosion. expecting that watch to be extended further to the east. we're about 4 1/2 to 5 hours from the storms as they continue to roll in. i want to show you some of these storms are prompting severe thunderstorm warnings here through abilene and heading to the northeast. this line will continue pushing

to the east. there's dallas and waco to the north, extreme northern along the county line where we have the fertilizer plant and i'm expecting those winds to be very gusty out of the south between 25 and 30 miles an hour. the only thing that's going to happen when those line of storms roll through is the winds are going to shift to the north but remain very gusty. not only through the day, we're probably not going to get the winds to relax until friday afternoon. but they will shift very early in the day from the south to the north and west. as that squall line moves through, heavy rain, large hail and lightning. keep in mind, you have the potential of some rotating the thunderstorms here. but even straight line winds can gust upwards of 70 miles per hour. this is a dynamic cold front, an unbelievable change in weather. temperatures will drop. by the time we get to the mid afternoon, the folks will be needing winter coats. temperatures in the 40s and by

the time we get into the nighttime hours, temperatures in the 30s. but the squall line moving through, expecting that around sun rise. so not going to see a lot of bright skies out there. it will be a thick canopy of clouds and nasty thunderstorms to contend with throughout the day. just an incredible scene there in texas, covering two national tragedies here in just one week. unbelievable stuff. >> it certainly is. many thanks to you, ivan. we're going to take a short break now. we'll continue to cover this story after that short break. [ male announcer ] this is joe woods' first day of work. and his new boss told him two things -- cook what you love, and save your money. joe doesn't know it yet, but he'll work his way up from busser to waiter to chef before opening a restaurant specializing in fish and game from the great northwest. he'll start investing early, he'll find some good people to help guide him, and he'll set money aside from his first day of work

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welcome back. we are following breaking news out of texas, where at least two people are dead. possibly many more. but authorities are refusing to

give out those numbers. this happening after a fire and huge explosion at a fertilizer plant. it happened in the small town of west, texas near waco. the entire area has been evacuated. dozens of homes and a nearby apartment complex are destroyed. hospitals are treating at least 150 people injured by that blast. of course, the fire. authorities say that fire is contained but still smoldering. >> i got a call from my neighbor, and i just -- i came over here and all i know is all i saw was cars just headed everywhere. it was crazy. >> did you hear the explosion? >> honestly, at my mom's house, i did not feel it. but i know my aunt was in church and they felt it over there. >> everything was nice, calm, chill. and then we -- it was about 7:50 when the -- we heard the big boom, and then we were fishing

right underneath the bridge at the lake and the whole bridge shook. >> how far away do you think that is? >> about 10, 15 miles from here. >> so it was a big explosion. >> yes. it sounded like somebody had a blowout on the bridge but there were no cars passing. >> sergeant w. patrick swanton just wrapped up a news conference. he's a spokesperson for a waco police department. here's some of what he had to say. >> at this point, we don't know a number that have been killed. i will confirm there have been fatalities. i think we'll see those fatalities increase towards the morning. numerous injuries have been moved from the scene to a hospital. we've taken them in to our city limits, into waco, into hillcrest and providence hospital where they're being

treated. >> firefighters in west, texas are concerned about a gas called anhydrous ammonia, and it's a fertilizer. the centers for disease control and prevention have listed it as a pungent gas with suffocating fumes, made up of nitrogen and hydrogen and when exposed to humans, it can cause irritation of eyes, nose or throat, burns or blisters and exposure to high concentrations can lead to death. when it's released in the air, the vapors initially move close to the ground, causing a greater risk for exposure. >> of course, that does pose a lot of problems when it comes to air quality. hundreds of firefighters and first responders may be breathing hazardous chemicals. dr. sanjay gupta spoke to anderson cooper and erin burnett about the dangers. >> you hear fertilizer and you think about some very

combustible, explosive chemicals, including ammonium nitrate. besides the blast injury itself, which sounds like it was significant, and also just the chemical itself i think one of those people who said the guards are wearing respirators. that would not surprise me, because the air in that area is going to quickly become of colonel, when you have these sorts of chemicals being released in the air in great quantities. so we've seen these types of explosions in the past. but frankly with all the blast injuries we've been talking about this week in regard to boston, those same sorts of injuries you have to be concerned about here, as well.

>> fertilizer is used in explosive devices, so you can understand why it's so flammable. >> we talk about ammonium nitrate. fertilizer plants are always of concern for that very reason. >> we were talking about where it was located. they're describing it as a rural area, but there was an apartment complex, a school and nursing home. would it be unusual to be located near an apartment complex or a nursing home? >> that's a fair question. but besides the obvious damage, the air quality in there. this is of no small concern. i imagine in addition to rescuing people in that nursing home, my guess is the rescue workers will have to be fully protected and get clean oxygen

to people who may be trapped in that nursing home. >> clearly some major concerns there. i want to go back to heather beck of providence health center, on the phone again from waco, texas. heather, could you bring us up to date on what the situation is there at the hospital? >> yes. currently we're seeing a little bit of a slowdown. we have treated 65 patients. we've had 12 admissions from those, and we have only one patient in critical condition. again, we're treating patients of all ages and seeing moderate injuries, mainly. consisting of broken bones, lacerations, bruises, cuts and some respiratory distress. >> the person you mentioned in critical condition, what sort of situation is that patient? >> i'm not able to elaborate further on that, just that we have the one patient in critical condition. >> that's good news that you are saying there's been a slowdown.

you've treated 65 patients and presumably you've released some of them after treatment? >> yes, that's correct. we've only admitted 12 at this point of the 65 we treated. >> for if most part, those injuries, talking broken legs, arms? >> all of the above. we have seen some head injuries, minor burns. major burns are being routed to parkland hospital in danllas. >> what are patients telling you as they come through for help at your clinic? >> i'm not a clinical worker, so i'm not working in direct patient care. i can tell you that our patients are upset, they're in shock. they're obviously traumatized from the events of this evening. but our caregivers are focused on treating their injuries at

this time. >> what about when those people are leaving, these people, have their lost their homes, what sort of stories are they telling you about their situation on the ground there? >> yes, some people have lost their homes. we have a list of area shelters that we're providing to our patients that identifies a place for them to go if they need a place to stay. >> this is the problem, the conditions are pretty bad there when it comes to the weather. but we're talking about a smalltown here, 2,800 people or so. it sounds like it's a town where people know each other very well. they're going to take people in if there are any problems as far as shelter. is that what you year hearing? >> absolutely. west is a tight nit community. we have a lot of associates that work here at providence here that are from west. we're praying for all the people affected by this tragedy. but there is a lot of support from the community, because it is a tight nit community.

>> heather beck from providence hospital, they have seen 65 patients, we're talking about broken limbs and some burns. we're going to take a short break. we'll have more on the aftermath of this fire and explosion at the fertilizer plant there in west, texas. do stay with us. given way to sleeping. tossing and turning have where sleepless nights yield to restful sleep, and lunesta eszopiclone can help you get there, like it has for so many people before. do not take lunesta if you are allergic to anything in it. when taking lunesta, don't drive or operate machinery until you feel fully awake. walking, eating, driving or engaging in other activities while asleep without remembering it the next day have been reported. lunesta should not be taken together with alcohol. abnormal behaviors may include aggressiveness, agitation, hallucinations or confusion.

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unlike other diapers, pampers has 3 absorbent layers, for up to 12 hours of protection overnight. ♪ pampers. ♪ welcome back once more. time to update you on the breaking news out of that small town of west, texas. at least two people dead, 150 others are wounded after a huge fertilizer plant explosion. >> authorities say just about every building in a five-block radius is destroyed. rescue workers are having to

proceed carefully because the plant is still smoldering. and toxic gases are a serious concern here. tommy muska is the city's mayor and a member of the all volunteer fire department, as well. take a listen. >> i was about two blocks away responding to the fire when it exploded. >> we're getting conflicting reports, but it would seem a large number of properties, of homes, have been completely collapsed. >> the blast took out about a five block radius from the fertilizer plant. >> how many homes do you think have been flattened in this? >> oh, 60, 70, 80. >> these are private homes with residents? >> yes, these are private residential homes. one school, one nursing home, one apartment. >> do you expect there will be

many people who have died in these homes? >> i don't know. i have no -- obviously it was a devastating, huge explosion. so there's going to be casualties. i just don't know a number. there are a number of injuries and they've been taken to waco hospitals. so we've got that under control. now we're just going house by house rescue. >> where were you when the explosion happened? >> i was a couple of blocks -- i'm a member of the fire department, so i was on my way to the fire. i just turned the corner about three blocks away and it blew up. >> what was the feeling that you had? >> i just never seen an explosion like that. it was a ball of fire and it was like a nuclear bomb went off. >> of course, this comes at a time when the u.s. is already on the edge after the boston marathon bombing and there's been allegations of poison ricin

being sent to the president and a u.s. senator and now this blast in texas. >> it is unbelievable what is happening in this country at the moment. >> please stay with us here on cnn. our coverage of this blast in west, texas continues after the break.