hard they want to help but what could be something to feel like they're a part. number one because they care. i don't want to provide. them being alive they want to be able to do something but they can't get up go to work properly. good. but next where you respond but you can probably expect to be in the coming hours and even days. ok sean thank you we will leave it there for the moment a reminder of our breaking news this hour two people are confirmed dead and two hundred injured in a blast that has ripped through a fertilizer plant in the u.s. state of texas local residents have been advised to evacuate from the area in the town of west just north of waco firefighters ambulances and helicopter support are at the scene this is the moment of the second blast which is that devastating damage eyewitnesses say five took at apartment complexes nearby schools and hans's

some of which have collapsed people are still trapped in some of those houses and the rescue teams are trying to get to them as we speak well in addition to this has this materials have also been released from this plant and very sexperts have been dissed dispatched trying to tackle the aftermath of that explosion and to try and prevent talks spreading to nearby areas a local department of public safety says they do not have information at the moment on the exact number of people that have been killed in the explosion the official figure at the moment is two but many many more were reported dead by local media. just in the in the arab after the explosion or loss local hospitals coordinating with each other to hang with the inflow of patients many of which are believed to be in a critical condition we did hear from sean thomas there a man on r.t. correspondent who lived for a long time in texas he said that there are. people that have been injured will be

lifted to major hospitals in this area went to houston and also one at waco who should be able to deal with the horror that they. with the horrific injuries that they will have to treat people for the cause of the blast isn't yet known to have said that mobile phones forty two may have seen just a couple of minutes ago gave an indication that there was an initial fire that's what we were hearing from local media and then firefighters were at the scene when a main just second blast took place and that is what has caused this devastation in what is only a small community something like only two and a half thousand people live in the town of west which is just north of waco in texas where the social media sphere is now bursting with comments on the tragedy eyewitnesses have been posting some of their footage in snapshots of the blast scene these images are from twitter which uses are of course actively using to discuss the disaster the massive smoke cloud from the blast was

pictured by several people and images of the mayhem in areas surrounding the plant are also being made available the same as you can imagine are immense the devastation is immense. buildings still burning at the scene these are just some of the images that you've managed to capture post on twitter and other social media while i believe we can now get the latest from r.t. story spotted in the state any chickie and jani thank you for joining us again it's been a few hours since that explosion but what more can you tell us about the rescue effort so far. well we know that we know that people are being evacuated from the area taken as far as possible the biggest worry that the officials now is that this . a second another explosion another major explosion can rip through

this town of west texas at this plant and what they are they worried about this because because there is another fertilizer tank that is intact it is right there at the plant the fire is still going on and rescue services are struggling to get to the they're struggling even now with to get to the people who are trapped in the homes that have already been flattened by this major by this massive explosion that just local residents people who witnessed this explosion they they compare it to to. a nuclear explosion something like this we've heard all kinds of bank accounts of people are devastated they compare it to a war zone we know that dozens of buildings nearby collapsed after the explosion now the department of the latest information we have department of public health

says probably over one hundred injuries. fifty to seventy five houses damaged this is what we hear. from from the department of public health. as we know that the explosion happened near a residential area we hear it here about apartment buildings about a nursing home engulfed in fire. and then we have the whole of town of this town of texas i'm sorry of west texas that appears to be engulfed in fire this is what we see from helicopter footage. there we're getting so. hospitals are told to be prepared to receive a very large number. we have two confirmed deaths so far but there will be. officials many are saying there will be many more just given given the impact of the explosion and how messy it was local media reports dozens and

dozens of fatalities nothing confirmed as of yet two deaths confirmed and there could be more and we know again we know that the explosion you mentioned earlier when we spoke to you it happened at around seven thirty local time in the evening is that do we know it was the planned manned that time is a twenty four hour planned and or i don't know that and into it was operating at that moment but it it did it did explode near a residential area at the plant was in this in a small town of west texas so it did affect a lot of people although maybe at the time there were fewer people than there could have been if it ripped through the plant in the middle of the day any clearer into the events leading up to this explosion on oh it's too early to say exactly what

caused the blast but there was this initial report there was a fire the firefighters attended and then there was the secondary blast we heard any more about that and that's it that's all you said and that's all we know officials are not giving any any information on this this could have been an accident but we don't know what caused the fire it is too early to tell ok again well look we have got our belief. an interview that we can play with the foam in who was at the scene so let's just hear what he has to say. 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 exploded so you can imagine what kind of damage we're looking out there. i know there was at least seventy five to fifty fifty to seventy five houses

damaged there's apartment complex that has about fifty units in it that was completely. just skeleton standing and there's a nursing home in the area that one hundred thirty three people in the nursing home we've got them about your weight i don't know what their injuries are are there right now but all injuries have been removed from the scene and taken to local hospitals in the waco area we had numerous agencies helping us all the way from the dallas fort worth area mclennan county limestone field bosky and all the surrounding areas so we've had a great turnout. to come out to help us get through this tragedy that we've had in this small community. so that was the fun when he was actually at the scene he arrived at the same shortly after the blast his first time they can pretty horrific he did say that fifty to seventy five times his blood damage as a result of that huge blast at the lies

a planned and we understand danny that officially two people have been killed as a result of this but the expectation is the death toll will be much much higher than. well andrew that's right this is this is what happens basically after all. these kinds of explosions you get the number of the number of confirmed if it is. well they need to identify that they want to be able to identify them before they actually confirm the deaths so that when when the call spore in of course lots of lots of people. i'm sure calling and trying to find out about their about their friends about their loved ones they want to be sure before they confirm those numbers so we have seventy we have at least seventy. fatalities reported fatalities reported by local media but again two confirmed deaths so far but given the extent of the explosion given how big it was.

there there. there were many more there were many more fatalities that's that's that's premature and as we understand it there is still many people trapped in the farm mentioned there up to seventy five thousand homes were damaged including a new song home where i think i heard him correctly when he said one hundred thirty three people were resident that so the assumption is this is still many people that need to be treated and rescued from the city. absolutely and it is a it is a very big challenge for rescue teams for rescue services to get there and do that and at the same time try to somehow tackling neutralize if if if it is possible at all this second for a two liter tank that may blow up as we understand it any minute and this could be a huge danger for the rescue teams who could be moving again to help those who are

trapped in those homes that have been flattened by this by this massive explosion so you you have a situation when you have people there survivors people there to rescue but at the same time a huge danger for the teams who are going to be doing that. ok again in the lyrics and no information at this point as far as yes as far as this second fertilizer tank how how how damaged it is because the fire is still ongoing they haven't contained it yet but thank you very much candy for that update a point you made which is a very valid point there are fees potentially of another explosion at this fertilizer plant a quick reminder of our breaking news this hour two people are confirmed dead and two hundred injured in a blast at hundred three where thirty lives are planned in the u.s. state of texas officials do confirm the deaths at the fertilizer plant but the number of casualties is unclear this is the second drink blast it is massive which

caused the huge devastation this was filmed by an eyewitness a local residents have been advised to evacuate from the area in the town of west just north of waco. that is a huge explosion that occurred around about seven thirty pm local time in the evening firefighters ambulances and helicopter support is still at the scene trying to rescue many many people who are believed to be trapped in buildings that collapsed as a result of this blast including a nursing home which we just heard recently from a fireman who was at the scene he said that one hundred thirty three people resident in that home and up to seventy five residential homes in this area were also affected many people have been evacuated from the area we now can speak to one other person about this safety expert i believe robert jacobs robert thank you very much for coming on to the program look it's still not clear is that what has caused this blast but from your knowledge from your experience what are the

potential causes. on actually i'm not a safety expert or chemical scientist my expertise is on nuclear issues and specifically in terms of fukushima so the b. what's caused it where fertilizer as we know is extremely combustible so it's been used in bombs and so it's manufacture is extremely delicate and can easily if handled wrong or if handled in safely can lead to explosions so we have to assume at this point that it's such a chemical explosion that's happened there at the plant and so what are the things we know we've seen the aftermath of this huge explosion and we can understand the devastation that that school is in terms of buildings that being that have collapsed and and the huge fire that sort of raged after that but what are the possible implications for the environment and the danger is a toxic leak or toxic cloud. there's certainly what you're handling chemicals like this there is

a possibility that there can be chemical contamination that could that would need to be cleaned up in the aftermath of the explosion so the undoubtedly be extensive monitoring of the areas around the plant in order to make sure that whatever chemicals have been spread around can be cleaned up to reduce future toxicity to the residents and presumably there's a big fear that these toxins could be airborne like they were and think ashima i mean what can you do to contain that. well obviously with the kinds of winds that blow and such big intense fires there will be airborne distribution oh my so there's nothing that can be done while the event is happening what will be done is is assessment and cleanup in the aftermath currently people are being evacuated because of the dangers to for further explosions for fire to spread and also for a spread around of some of the chemicals from the plant however those will almost certainly be deposited close to the plant and it will be possible to get in there

make assessments and do cleanup of the area in the future so those are the primary dangers. robin jacobs thank you very much for joining us this safety expert a man who has so many experts say what happened at the think ashima plant when that . melted down but he has not given us his views on what potential danger is that the firefighters in the community faces. in the town of west just north of waco where this explosion took place. now a reminder of our breaking news this hour two people two people have been confirmed dead and two hundred injured in a blast that has ripped through a fertilizer plant in the u.s. state of texas official confirming the number of deaths at the fertilizer plant but the number of casualties is still unclear a local residents have been advised to evacuate from the area in the town of west just north of waco the u.s. geological survey says that texas fertilizer plant explosion madge did as

a two point one magnitude seismic event that just gives you an indication of the power of that explosion that we've seen from that mobile phone footage just a couple of minutes ago there we can see it again this is an initial fire that was at the plant and then in a few seconds time there is a huge explosion which literally knocks the person off his feet the guy who was filming this and that would just give you a real feel for the damage that has been caused the firefighters now there you are still at the scene this helicopter support at the same injured people being airlifted to hospitals in waco and also houston which are major hospitals which are good to treat people who've been injured by this blast witnesses say the fire too cold. at apartment complexes and schools and houses nearby we just heard a few minutes ago from a fireman who was at the scene he said there were many houses around the area

seventy five houses around the area that have been damaged including also an old person's home and it's believed that one hundred thirty three people were resident there or hazardous materials are also a big threat at the moment and experts have been dispatched to the same to tackle the aftermath of the explosion all of the hospitals are coordinating with each other to deal with the inflow of patients many of which are believed to be in a critical condition as we've been hearing the cause of the blast is not yet known we will bring you more information on this story this developing story as we get it . the social media sphere is nine person with comments on the tragedy eyewitnesses have been posting some of the footage in snapshots of the blast scene these are some of the images that is the plane the smoke that rose above the plant the explosion a massive explosion that geology said registered two point one on the seismic rig to scios that gives you an idea of time powerful it was and these are images that

people have captured on the phones and that cameras in the aftermath and posted them on social media but we need to give you a sense of the destruction that was caused a spokesman for rescue services at the time of the scene of the disaster talked to the media just a few minutes ago he gave his firsthand account of the county which. 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 exploded so you can imagine what kind of damage we're looking out there. i know that was at least seventy five to fifty fifty to seventy five houses damaged there's apartment complex that has about fifty units in it that was completely. just skeleton standing there's

a nursing home in the area that one hundred thirty three people in the nursing home we've got them a graduated i don't know what their injuries are are there right now but all injuries have been removed from the scene and taken to local hospitals in a way where we had numerous agencies helping us all the way from the dallas fort worth area mclennan county limestone. and all surrounding areas so we've had a great turnout. to come out to help us get through this tragedy that we've had in this small community. ok we can go back on thomas now who joins us on the line shawn thomas not the correspondent who that many gays in texas show me just been can you hear us say yes i can we just been hearing from the fireman there from texas he was one of the first on the scene he's been describing the devastation that took place but he also mentioned just as you did a few minutes ago about. local communities trying to rally to help.

coming out with blankets except for that many new people as we know most seriously injured have been taken to hospitals in taste and and also my cow but when you experience those hospitals do have the facilities because it's such a tragedy today. well not really if you actually look at west texas itself is a town of a larger than three thousand people total living in that actual community where the devastation took place so any hospital or medical facility there would certainly not be able to cope with such devastation. out to the south which is where waco is and it's a whole there's a little bit of respite care but that town which is considered the largest city in the area only has around one hundred twenty five thousand people living there so even in waco they are not as equipped to handle such a large scale tragedy either so as you heard in that like the the spokesperson saying that different hospitals in the area they're all working together to

coordinate this is something that you're going to have to see we also know that there are at least a six hour covers now that are airlifting people from the tree are seen to different hospitals probably being assessed as to what their needs are and when then should be sent to by airlift to get the best care that they can in this critical time so you have the triology where emergency medical crews are setting up their places. to assess all of the injuries and to assess all of the damage and then from there they're being sent to the various hospitals around as far south as waco and north to houston as well. and give us an idea of the geography of this area because they're taking major phase not second firstly that could be another explosion this plant that. the phase of a toxic flank and then i think from this plan that could spread to nearby areas what's the joke a feel like if it wasn't populated other other times in

a pod it could be affected well it is a very. good news in this type of a situation if you can say there's good news is that it is not a very densely populated meaning it's a big rule area the main source of income is farming i mean it's the same people who live there are descended from the same people who settled the area way back when and it's just a very slow very rural very open farm community so imagine a large vast fields and there is some oil in the area but really big wide open spaces so that's the good news in terms of a cloud dissipating and not being able to affect other people but in terms of actual explosion we are hearing that there is another tank that is still intact that has not exploded yet that is a big concern given the type of devastation that the first explosion had and then also the possible release of this toxic gas anyone that is in the area being told

that they should get out of the way and evacuate so while the initial damage or disaster has taken place it is an ongoing disaster if you will it is something that is not finished it is a disaster in progress that authorities are still trying to figure out how to manage as it progresses and as the circumstances change. well the authorities have said officially only two people have been confirmed dead but the death toll unfortunately is expected to be much much greater isn't it. certainly i mean if you look at. the really amount of i mean an old folks home an apartment complex process . many how did in the immediate area surrounding the complex some of which have been described as destroyed so. that there are people who are still trapped are going to be searches going on for quite some time to see me who exactly is missing . or been hurt and in what kind of ways and it's going to take some time to be able

to gain access to the area in a safe fashion as well. but if you often look at it. in relation if even if you have you know very small amount of people killed in a town the size of only twenty seven hundred people it's certainly going to take its toll every single person in that community is going to have been affected by this. ok sean thank you we will leave it there for the moment that was the voice of sean thomas who joined us on the line correspondent also a man who lived in texas for many years and was able to give us an insight into the effects of this would have on the community there so a reminder of our breaking news this hour two people are confirmed dead in two hundred injured in a blast that hundred three thirty lies a plant in the u.s. state of texas official confirms the number of deaths at the first eliza plant saying but the number of casualties is also unclear though it's thought to be in the hundreds local residents have been advised to evacuate from the area in the

times of west just north of wake a u.s. geological survey says the texas fertilizer plant explosion read just a magnitude that was the moment the explosion called on a mobile phone. by an eyewitness but there's signs of that explosion geological society says it was something like two point one on the richter scale so that gives you no idea of the size and the power of the blast firefighters and ambulances and helicopter support teams is still at the scene. trying to help those who are still injured many believed to be still trapped in buildings that were affected by this. there was an old person's home a residential home where with one hundred thirty three people that collapsed as a result of this blast something like seventy residential homes rule saying mia this fertilizer plant when it exploded and they have also collapsed so that gives you an idea of the scale of the disaster. it's not clear how many people were in

the plant at the time at this stage but what we do know is that the explosion took place at seven thirty in the evening local time so given that perhaps perhaps that may have reduced the fatalities if. that wasn't a peak time of the fertilizer plant with workers but nonetheless devastating scenes of as we say two people have been confirmed dead but local media were reporting just shortly after the blast that seventy people had died in speaking to artie's correspondent who said the reason may be that the official death toll is low at the moment is because they are waiting for official identification many people are being treated for the inhalation of toxic fumes. many people have been evacuated to two hospitals one at waco we've heard from sean thomas it's only a small hospital and might not be geared up to the huge number of casualties that

they will receive and also many are being taken to another hospital in houston but these are the scenes at the moment from the blast at the fertilizer plant in texas . well staying with news from the u.s. a malicious mail scare has gripped america after letters laced with poison were sent to president obama and two other officials the deadly packages were intercepted by authorities and the man has been arrested in mississippi in connection with the case officials say the suspect is a well is well known as a frequent letter writer to lawmakers several government offices across the u.s. have also been locked down over the suspicious packages the scare comes just days after the deadly boston bombing and echoes the post nine eleven anthrax mail or tax which killed several people authorities say video footage from boston has helped pinpoint two potential suspects but they have not been identified and no arrests

have been made. ok so that is all for made for the moment got more news an update on our breaking news story just after a quick break. play . play. play. play. play play. play. play. play.

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