to this day, west point is still the father of west point because he's the one who puts it on much sounder and more systematic and that's very important because that's the army that will produce the generals of the civil war. that institution at west point will be where all these -- most of the more generous with their initial professional experience. >> host: the titleist west pointers in the civil war. who have regarded that were generous in the civil war? >> guest: in all honesty, most of the famous. sherman, grant, lee, hood. to give you a harder number, there are a few fitness, wade hampton for example. to get the sense of the numbers, two thirds of major generals involved are veterans of the regular army. the regular army is dominated by west point. the west point is about -- it not only must officers of the regular army graduate was going, it's just a focal point of much of the army's professionalism. when they do, for example, review boards for type x, these cadets as guinea pigs and they'll be -- to go to west point and how to march around and use the library. west point has the m

we're following this explosion at a west, texas fertilizer plant, the town of west.s many as 15 people have died. over 150 are injured. the blast occurred at 8:00 p.m. last night central time, rocking the small town of 2600 people. this is 20 miles north of waco, about 80 miles away from dallas. four-block radius leveled by the explosion. witnesses say they heard a loud boom and then everything around them began shaking. it's called totally decimated. texas officials said it's a crime scene, but no evidence yet of a crime. there are several individuals still unaccounted for. >> steve: we're going to continue to cover that devastating explosion. but we want to bring you up-to-date on two other developing stories this morning. first, fox news is confirming that the federal bureau of investigation has clear photographs, of two persons of interest in the boston marathon bombing. both guys spotted moments before the explosion. one person seen wearing a backpack that matched the bag believed to have been used in the terrorist attack. meanwhile, president obama heading to b

all of our shopping is done in west. we go to church in west. you shop in west. you go to dinner in west. everything is in west. there is a lot of small communities. about every 10 to 20 miles you have another small city because it is so rural here that we all have our own schools and our own volunteer fire department, but west is pretty much the hub of any shopping unless you go all the way to waco or on the other side you can go up to hillsboro. so it is the community gathering place. all of our kids play baseball there. it is where everybody goes. everybody knows everybody. >> i would assume you anticipate a lot of folks banning together in this very difficult time. are you hearing anything from authorities about perhaps when you can get back into your home? what are you hearing? any direction from law enforcement at this point? jay i have not heard anything. -- >> i have not heard anything. it appears the fires are under control, i hope. we can smell the chemicals in the air all the way up here because i am just a little bit northwest of there now. >> what do

cowboys still exist on the ranches of the west. it's a hard but satisfying life under open skies that's come to define the spirit of the west. [robert redford] i think that if we go back and look to how ranchers and farmers lived when they had to live this way, where they grew the food that they ate, and they used the land that needed to be used, they didn't place buildings, and highways on land that didn't need it. we should go back to that, to more of a community neighborhood kind of living. [narrator] heidi redd operates the dugout ranch near canyonlands national park. she entered a partnership with the nature conservancy to preserve the land and her family's ranching heritage. ranchers and environmental organizations are sometimes at odds. [heidi redd] i think they misunderstand each other. i'm very thankful for the environmental movement i think that if it hadn't come along, i don't know where we would be in america. they awakened us all to the dangers and the folly that we were committing just in the every day - i can remembe

west, texas. you brought us information from "the waco tribune." can you tell us what you learned? >> the paper quoted the mayor of west, texas, around 11:00 on wednesday evening. saying that the firefighters had been called to this blaze. the mayor himself is a firefighter. they were attempting to put out a small fire at the time when it exploded. it blew his helmet off his head. it broke all the windows and doors in his home, which is nearby. but he said, worst of all, six to seven firefighters were in the plant at the time. and they have not been accounted for. >> and we should note that we are awaiting another press conference on this. we're expecting officials to brief reporters shortly on the latest information that they have on this. but, charles, you're there in west, texas. what can you tell us about what you're hearing from local media? whether it's through the radio or local news? what are they saying to people? and what are they reporting about this terrible tragedy? >> pretty much wha

of the people in west know everybody in west. many of you are probably descendants from some of those first settlers, emigrants a copper -- crossed the ocean and kept going, so for you, there is no such thing as a stranger. when someone is in need, you reach out to them and you support them. you do what it takes to help them carry on. that is what happened last wednesday when the fire alarm sounded on a quiet, texas evening. the call went out, to the volunteers -- not professionals, people who just love to serve and what to help their neighbors. farmers and out to -- people who were selfless enough to put in a full day of work and then be ready for more. you answered the call. he stopped -- you drop your school work and you got in fire trucks, and he rushed to the flames. and when you got to the scene, you forgot the fear and you fought the blaze as hard as you could, knowing the danger, buying time so others could escape. and then, aut 20 minutes after the first alarm, the earth shook and the sky when dark, and west changed fore

local time in the town of west, texas.e had already been burning up the time the explosion took place. firefighters were on the scene trying to battle the blaze when the explosion happened. many have severe concerns about the safety of those first responders who were there at the time the explosion took place. charles is in the town of west, texas. he arrived a short time ago. describe what you are seeing. >> a lot of emergency vehicles prowling the streets. most of the activity is on the northern part of town with a fertilizer plant was located. that is also with a hospital is located and where the football field was located where the initial triage unit was set up. that has been sent down and moved to the southern part of town because of fears of another explosion from the plant. the plant was making -- at least stored anhydrous ammonia and, which is a very volatile material used in fertilizer and in making bombs at times. >> we have seen a nursing home, how badly it has been destroyed. this was not a building involved i

roughly our time 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 anhydrous ammonia in there. we realized the volatile tee 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 after their response there was a massive explosion at that fertilizer plant. they were in the process of removing people from homes and 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 this that area. there are victims in homes and there are victims from the nursing home, and there are victims also from an apartment complex, approximately a 50-unit apartment complex. some of the photographs have been on tv

we're live in west, texas.ontinue to follow the explosion. >>> it's a changing situation on the ground in west, texas. we had a news briefing over an hour ago. we'll update you on the latest information coming from local authorities there. >>> we're in the seventh hour of this catastrophe. this is pictures of the triage close by they have enough resources on the ground to help. the question is how many fatalities are there at the moment? we'll get the latest on the ground there in town. that is right outside of waco, texas. west, texas, where fertilizer plant exploded about seven hours ago. local officials updating us on hour ago. all that information and more. [ female announcer ] are you sensitive to dairy? then you'll love lactose-free lactaid® it's 100% real milk that's easy to digest so you can fully enjoy the dairy you love. lactaid®. for 25 years, easy to digest. easy to love. progressive direct and other car insurance companies? yes. but you're progressive, and they're them. yes. but they're here. yes.

do you know west yourself? >> i've been through west several times. i have some friends who have family there. they're concerned about their family. it is a wonderful little town. and i can't believe we actually felt it 50 miles away. >> absolutely extraordinary. we've heard the public safety officer. he was talking about it, the explosion, being just like a rock, just like the oklahoma city billing. we're hearing it all the time, but it's likely to be very, very csignifican significant, indeed. >> there are some very, very bad reports on the stations right now. i'm hoping that those are wrong. >> it's an awful situation. thank you very much, indeed, for joining me. >> well, thank you, sir. >> i want to go back to the ceo of providence health center. you can feel the aftershock 50 miles away. does that surprise you? >> yes, i'm surprise today hear that myself. >> and in terms of the press conference there with mr. wilson from the department of public safety, clearly fearing that there's going be a very significant death toll here, i'm talking about ve

>> yes, we're about 19 miles from west, and yes, we did. we felt the vibration and even the noise was pretty loud, as well. we thought it was an earthquake. >> were you inside the lobby at the time? so can you sort of set the scene for me and what you felt and heard? >> yes. i was at the front desk and when the noise occurred, the building sort of felt like it moved and the doors just automatically opened. so you know, it was a pretty hefty boom. >> now, there's a number of folks who can't go back to their homes tonight, and we understand that there's a weather system, perhaps we could pop up that radar where there may be more people who need to be evacuated in the next 24 hours. so are you housing those folks at this time? >> yes, we got quite a bit of them in already, and more are to come. we are also getting calls to be on stand by. but like i said, we're already prepared to take care of these guys. >> are you hearing stories from families? i mean, people are probably coming in that can't go home tonight. i mean, it's got to be incredibl

half of the town of 2500 people in west texas have been evacuated.other half may have to leave if winds shift overnight. firefighters cannot get to the actual blast zone at the fertilizer plant because of fears of another explosion. the i'm mown yum nitrate -- immonium nitrate is flammable. there are 700 first responders on the scene. a short time ago the mayor of that town, west texas, spoke to reporters. >> there is a lot of people that got hurt. there is a lot of people that i am sure are not going to be here tomorrow. we are going to search for everybody and make sure everybody is accounted for. that's the most important thing right now. >> as we said, at least two firefighters killed and more than a hundred injured. approximately 60 to 80 homes have been leveled. they have been leveled or seriously damaged. they are hoping to find victims and survivors. abc7 news. >> all right, john, thank you. >> now, nightline will update the explosion in a special report at 12:35. we will keep you updated. >>> and an update on the boston bombings. they have p

we have a line of very strong storms to the west of west texasment you can see them right on the radar you can see them coming toward west texas. the timing on the storms when they are expected to arrive at 8 to 9:00 a.m. local time. that's what we are looking at here and areas of heavy rain as well across parts of west texas. >> ma rria molina thank you. joining us on the phone is robert who works three blocks away from where the blast happened. thank you for joining us this morning. a very difficult day. what can you tell us? >> well, i was working in the kitchen at the steakhouse where i work at, the -- one of the waitresses said there was fire departments flying past, so the staff went outside to the streets to look down see where it was coming from what was going on. we looked down there we saw the fire a couple blocks away, the boss told us that we were going to close down early due to what was going on and everything. as me and joey the guy that i work with, we walked into the kitchen to go and cloels everything down and shut down the restaurant for the night and the lights went

west, texas. >> and also very dangerous conditions as people are trying to head in that direction to help. so, be warned, to be very careful and not head in that direction. the medical director of west, texas, george smith, telling us an incredible story of what he did and what he saw. >> we got a report of a fire at fertilizer plant. we sent the ems unit, we always do to help back the firemen up. i saw how bad it was so i went to the nursing home. i'm the medical director for the nursing home. i went over to the station closest to where the fire was and called all personnel to me there that was in the building and said, get people evacuated to the far side of the building. luckily we had most everybody out then. but then there was just a major, major explosion. the windows came in on me. the roof came in on me. the ceiling came in. i worked my way out to go get some more help. of course, we lost all communication because the power went out. the ambulance station is badly damaged. the whole 1500 b

and west is a wonderful little community. our hearts and prayers go out to all of those that are affected in this community. >> we understand that the on going situation is that they're battling to put this fire out. their genuine fears is that a second tank may explode, as well s. that your understanding? >>. >> i don't have a lot to add to the folks who have called in today to visit with you except to say this. and that is that i have reached out to the leader think in the county, both the leadership and the county judge. we've also reached up to the governor's office and have helped to coordinate with fema to the extent that our help is needed. also, center cruise and center coordinates office is working with us. these requests typically come through the governor's office. so we've got everybody ready at the federal level to receive those requests. >> congress, do we know the circumstances in which the original fire start snd was it an accident? could it have been sabotage? or something more sin instruct her? >> i would no

gabe gutierrez reports from west, texas. >> reporter: new video of the damage in west, texas, after a fertilizer facility exploded in a blinding fireball. for the first time we see an apartment complex ripped open. chunks of concrete tossed hundreds of yards. a school heavily damaged and this nursing home shattered. investigators said they found the origin of the explosion but it won't say where or what triggered it and they still aren't sure what caused wednesday's initial fire. >> we know there was an initial fire and then an explosion. we do not have a time line. >> reporter: local authorities say everyone is accounted for and they don't expect to find any more bodies. 14 people were killed including buck uptmor. >> we're just such a close family. it's such a big hole. there's such a big hole in it now. >> reporter: more residents were allowed back into their homes but the area closest to the plant is still off limits. >> my daughter's house is caved in but we at least would like to get in and start cleaning up and salvaging what can be salvaged. >> we're going to have to have serv

you can see the lights of the baseball field at west high school. that was a facility used as triage facility earlier in the night after the devastation. we tried to get as close to the scene as we could. law enforcement officials were relying on eyewitness accounts and what law officials are telling us, and like you said, scene like iraq, bolike a bomb went off, tornadic. >> i know that earlier there were reports that there were a lot of firefighters from other areas, emergency personnel that were going over to the scene and if they had enough emergency personnel. have you seen a big presence there? >> reporter: the presence is massive. in fact, they're telling emergency personnel from surrounding towns, we're good, we don't need you anymore. we don't need you anymore. they're telling the public, go to abbott high school, drop off your goods, give blood, that's how can you tep around here. in terms of emergency services, the response was incredible. they're fine. it's now a recovery mission. again, as soon as the sun comes up they expect to learn m

half of the town of 2500 people in west texas have been evacuated. the other half may have to leave if winds shift overnight. firefighters cannot get to the actual blast zone at the fertilizer plant because of fears of another explosion. the i'm mown yum nitrate -- immonium nitrate is flammable. there are 700 first responders on the scene. a short time ago the mayor of that town, west texas, spoke to reporters. >> there is a lot of people that got hurt. there is a lot of people that i am sure are not going to be here tomorrow. we are going to search for everybody and make sure everybody is accounted for. that's the most important thing right now. >> as we said, at least two firefighters killed and more than a hundred injured. approximately 60 to 80 homes have been leveled. they have been leveled or seriously damaged. they are hoping to find victims and survivors. abc7 news. >> all right, john, thank you. >> now, nightline will update the explosion in a special report at 12:35. we will keep you updated. >>> and an update on the boston bombings. they h

there is a lot of heritage in west texas. there is a lot of... west texas is right beyond i-35. they are known for their -- for their food and pastries. they're just real friendly people. >> right. you can sort of tell me what kind of impact this would have on the community? there are 3,000 folk who live in this area. this certainly is sending shock waves, especially if we are hearing there are up to 100 injuries and the sheriff said, they do have fatalities. what kind of impt is this going to have? >> caller: i can only imagine the impact it would have. i would compare it to -- a tornado hitting the town. i mean, it's going to be devastating to the town. i know that the school district, west school district has already said on their social media, they won't have classes tomorrow or friday afternoon -- or friday morning. they are going to re-assess the situation as the weekend progresses and as rescue efforts continue. >> all right, joe. thank you very much for joining us. you live nearby. you were 20 miles from the blast site and you felt the effects. thank you for joining us.

but moved to west. and i woke up this morning with a changed reality that i'm never going to see west common texas again in my life. i'm not. being with ems is -- you know, you don't know how people get your phone numbers and i'm on the board with west and hence why i'm speaking with you is with west ems is i've received phone calls from london, from saudi, from australia, from south africa, from literally all over the globe of this outpouring of support and it's absolutely amazing. >> and that's been important to you? >> yeah. that's what we wanted to convey or that i wanted to convey as a member of west ems. >> you feel that support? >> it goes beyond that. whenever you are at the worst time in your life that nobody can understand and you're in the warm place that means everything to you and you realize the entire world takes a pause to say we're sorry and is there anything we can do to help is all the way to ground zero, every one of us are incredibly humbled and grateful for that outpouring of suppo

the west fertilizer plant is in the small town of west, texas.s only 18 miles north of waco. >> i want to go to glen robinson now. he's the ceo of that center. he joins us on the phone from waco, texas. sir, could you bring us up to date on the number of people you are working with? the number of people that are coming in? how many people have needed your services there so far? >> so far, we have treated here more than a hundred patients. so far, we have no fatality that is we have treated here at this facility. we're just really proud of our emergency personnel and the system and which it has worked. as you know, in this profession, the average person on the street would have no idea. we train and we drill and we hope something like this never happens. but, when it does, it's -- it's certainly rewarding to see the system work so that we can take care of so many people so rapidly. that our facility, alone, as i mentioned, we've cared for more than a hundred. our sister hospital, 30 miles to the south, they have treated several. and we have transp

to the west we go. we see strong thunderstorms.he question is do they survive the trip going over the mountains. i do think a couple of spot showers could make their way. we're heading north and west. could see a shower or gusty thunderstorm. right now columbus getting socked. the reason north storms, the cold front out to the west. that's the battle zone between cool air to the north. mild air on top of us. that's why we see the storms firing up. go to roanoke. look at the heat down over jackson and montgomery, alabama, 87 degrees. all we need is a southerly wind to scoop up that air. we think that will happen thursday going into friday. it is mild. there's that front that comes through tomorrow morning. could trigger a shower, even a thunderstorm. then for tomorrow we'll bring in that marine air right off the bay, right off the ocean. that will keep the clouds in play. so the forecast for tonight, 60 degrees, unseasonably mild. tonight will be a struggle to get out of the 70s for the city. as we get into tomorrow afternoon we're

the west fertilizer plant in the small town of west, texas, about 20 miles from waco, exploding. the blast of the massive fire that followed, leaving dozens of homes and buildings heavily damaged or destroyed. the town's mayor telling cnn what it felt like. >> i just never have seen an explosion like that. it was just a ball of fire and went up like a nuclear bomb went off. big old mushroom cloud. >> reporter: the blast was so strong it registered as a magnitude 2.1 earthquake. >> we just saw an explosion on the horizon. >> a bomb just went off inside here. it's pretty bad. >> reporter: half of the town's 2600 residents were forced to evacuate. officials concerned about potentially deadly gas fumes and a second fertilizer tank that could also explode. people living near the plant feared for their lives. >> when it exploded, we all just hit the ground, and i was trying to cover up my daughter because there was a lot of debris flying. within -- after that, it was just basically search and rescue. >> reporter: the smoldering fire and fumes prevented rescue workers from getting near

rethink possible. >>> following breaking news tonight in west, texas, not the area but the town west,a community of 2800 people. about 80 miles south of dallas. terrible tragedy there tonight. almost four hours ago tonight as firefighters were responding to a blaze at a fertilizer factory suddenly without warning two massive blasts with devastating consequences. we heard reports now up to 200 people injured. 40 critically. the death confirmation is not made on reports that two emergency medical technicians and firefighters have been killed but you we have not confirmed that independently but we are trying to get a handle on that o, of course. the immediate concern is what authorities are are doing here as you look at the staging area from a high school football field not far away is to make sure that they have gotten everyone who needs treatment out and there is now a search for survivors or a search for any one else who is in harm's way. the search was hampered initially because there was concern about more are explosions because of the number of chemicals as this fire continued to r

david scott live in the town of west. david, we are curious what are you hearing this morning as of right now? >> reporter: well, i'll tell you, they have been going door to door and searching through rubble all night long. now, at least, they have the benefit of the dawn's early light. we have also had a heavy cold rain squall just move through here. that cannot help the search and rescue whatsoever. latest count, 160 injured. guesstimated dead, 5-15. at least two of those are ems paramedics. they fear they may have lost more paramedics as well. the search will go on here all day long. about half of the 2800 people who live here were evacuated overnight for fear of toxic fumes. >> david, we are hearing this morning that there are reports that that fertilizer plant was cited for a permit violation several years ago. what do you know? what can you tell us about that? >> i know a bit. this goes back to 2006. they apparently didn't file for or submit the proper paperwork. the he can logical divisions of the government looked

he's in west, texas. what's happening in west right now?> reporter: right now it's quiet on the south end of town. the north end of town you can still see a lot of red flashing lights, cars and trucks going and coming from the neighborhood that has been devastated by the explosion overnight. as we reported a couple of hours ago with the straight troop who are gave a briefing, all of the injured have been evacuated from town. that is the good news. the bad news is they're still searching for survivors or victims they may find in this neighborhood. they've alluded to the fact there will be casualties from this disaster. >> you've been there for hours. have you seen signs the damage has caused to that damage? >> we're confined to the southern part of the area. the northern section of town is where the search is taking place and no one is allowed in there except first responders. we're able to tell you only what we see coming and going from the area and that's what we see. >> charles, we'll check back with you shortly. i want to take a moment t

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 sa

manuel bojorquez in west, texas. thank you very much, this is the "cbs morning news." ♪ [ acoustic guitar: upbeat ] [ dog ] we found it together. on a walk, walk, walk. love to walk. yeah, we found that wonderful thing. and you smiled. and threw it. and i decided i would never, ever leave it anywhere. because that wonderful, bouncy, roll-around thing... had made you play. and that... had made you smile. [ announcer ] beneful. play. it's good for you. of mild to moderate alzheimer's disease is exelon patch. now with more treatment options, exelon patch may improve overall function and cognition. your loved one can get a free 30-day trial. and you can have access to nurses. it does not change how the disease progresses. hospitalization, and rarely death, have been reported from wearing more than one patch at a time. the most common side effects are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fall, loss of appetite or weight, application site redness, and urinary tract infection. the likelihood and severity of these side effects may in

a populated area in the town of west, texas.e you heard of fatalities, have you lost anyone at the hospital? >> no, we have had zero fatalities here. of course, we're hearing the reports, as you are, that we certainly anticipate having a number of fatalities there at the scene and especially as morning comes and they're able to sift through more of the debris and more of the, you know, explosion blast that is there. certainly we hope and pray that's not the case. tonight our prayers are with all the citizens of west and their loved ones around the country and around the world. >> absolutely. a lot of prayers going out to west, texas, today. for the harrowing events there. we also got the chance to speak with sergeant patrick swanson of the west police department. and he did confirm for us that there have been fatalities. we turn now to sergeant swanson. >> what can you tell us about it? >> well, just to kind of bring you up to speed, i can tell you about 6:00 p.m. tonight, west fire department responded to a fire call at a ferti

there was a large explosion at a fertilizer plant in the city of west, texas. it's not west texas. it's the city of west, texas. about 2,800 residents in that town. you were listening to sergeant patrick swanton, updating us on the story, in terms of what the officials are saying, 5 to 15 fatalities. three to five first responders are missing at this hour. they're using a local high school football feed as a triage center. and in terms of who is sent to area hospitals to get a sense of how many people may have been injured, from minor to see veer, area hospitals have treated 160 people right now. the neighborhood surrounding this fertilizer plant remains shut down. we're told that utilities are turned off, as well. and authorities are going house-by-house to, assess injuries and who may still be in their homes and to encourage them to remain in their homes until daylight and they can secure the area and make sure it is safe. of course, there was concern about ammonia in the air. sergeant swanton said right now, there's no particular concern about the air quality. they will continue

th west texas west texas believes 60 to 80 homes are leveled or seriously damaged. >> i can tell you i was there. i walked to the blast area and searched some houses earlier tonight and massive is. just like iraq. just like the murrah building in oklahoma city. canit explodee what kind of damage we are looking at there. >> fire to a a nearby middle school and the explosion rocked a nursing home spraying elderly residents with glass and other debris. about 130 people had to be evacuated from the home. they were treated at a triage center set up at a school athletic field near the fertilizer plant. >> i had to get to the nursing home. nobody getting them out. it was blown. the apartments across the street was blown. >> a lot of chaos right now. trying to protect these businesses. all of the glass is gone out of the front. trying to evacuate because there is still a danger there. >> reporter: search and rescue crews are working through the night. >> we are there and searching the area and making sure it is safe for any other people around there and the firefighters are trying to to be s

both pressure coming from the west and misinformation that comes from the west the iranians have to continue to convince the rest of the notice what is coming excuse me if i could just if i could just finish it to convince the west of the rest of the world that western countries are spreading misinformation but of course west of iraq television channels english arabic version and spanish from satellite throughout the world they are doing a good job in preventing iran's voice from getting outside of its borders. are going to start with you look at what are you going sanctions and twenty seconds charles going into your twenty seconds i would say that there are so many other arguments you you could make to say that the iranians you would any military official in iran that has not it was bitter and option is not doing their job and so simply say the rounds program is all right gentlemen fascinating discussion but we have run out of time many thanks to my guest today and to around and in washington and thanks to our viewers for watching us here r.t.c. unix or rules. welcome to the future

nbc's charles hadlock is in west texas. charles, can you tell us about what you're seeing now in terms of that fire? you mentioned earlier that you could still see that it was burning. it's 1:00 a.m. eastern time. it happened around 8:00 p.m. eastern time. we're talking about hours and hours now. can you confirm that you are still seeing fire burning? >> yeah, there's still a slight glow on the north part of town. can't really tell what it is. whether it's remnants of the plant or perhaps some other building that may be smoldering here. but as the state trooper mentioned, what they're concerned about now are lives. who may still be alive in that rubble. and that's what they're concentrating on right now. they are going house to house, block by block. what's left of it. to try to find any survivors. the state trooper did mention that all of the injured had been evacuated out of west. that's a good sign. but they're still worried about what they may find inside that debris zone very near the plant. and if you heard that troop

nbc's charles hadlock live in west, texas.ould note there was a fire burning at the plant before the explosion. firefighters were responding to that. and overnight, we got reports that firefighters were still missing. we will continue to follow this developing story. stay with msnbc for the latest on that. this is "first look." "way too early" starts right now. >>> it should collapse. [ explosion ] >> just an unbelievable explosion. hundreds of people are hurt. and there are fatalities. we just don't know how many after an explosion at a fertilizer plant north of waco, texas. we are on the scene, as new details emerge. good morning, everyone. this is "way too early" on a busy news day on this thursday, april 18th. they have a face. but they still need a name. we'll have the latest on the investigation into the

of west texas last night. massive explosion at a fertilizer supply outlet. west is about 20 miles north of waco. it only covers a couple dozen blocks but after the blast which actually registered a 2.1 on the richter scale, a big part of the community is simply gone today. while it is unclear as of now how many people have been killed the mayor says 30 to 40 people are missing. a lot of those first responders. 160 more are injured. nbc's miguel almaguer is at the scene for us tonight. miguel, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. that explosion took place a mile away from here. we have been asked to keep our distance as rescue teams search for the missing. it's feared at least 15 are dead. as you mentioned, 160 wounded. officials worry both those numbers may climb. the blast decimated four city blocks. a war zone where tonight first responders are searching for survivors. in the small town of west -- >> firefighters down. again, there has been an explosion. there are firefighters down. >> reporter: -

there is quite a bit in common as the christians of west borough, west borough is to christianity asus was to inbreeding. they go around the country holding protests at funerals of anyone who doesn't stone gay people to death. they don't want to hate gays. they just do it because god commands them. it's like neuremberg but with very bad teeth. when someone tries to stifle them then they engage in first amendment lawsuits. then you have the nra. please understand we're not talking about their members. in the poll of the n ra members 87% said they believed in second secondhand gun. you wouldn't know that according to wayne lapierre. they're the reason why in america its easier for a civilian to buy lots of weapons to kill lots of people really fast than it is for you to remember your my space password. here is a tip skeeter, while you're able to arm yourself while calling obama a gun-grabbing tyrant is proof that he is not. by opposing background checks at gun shows, the nra guarantees that guns can be legally bought through the gun show loophole by felons or third parties who sell to

dr west i mean from oakland to d.c. hearing so much racist comments about how oakland has a lot of crime because it's predominately african-american i mean you're looking at things like stop and frisk obviously these institutionalized policies of racism of over polisi in african-american. areas of the cities i mean of course that's what's going to happen is you're going to have a disproportionate representation of these minorities in prisons and it can't help but think reckon back again to martin luther king i mean last week was the forty fifth anniversary of his assassination and there are in this. i'm sure you're aware forty five years dr west and. people are i don't know whether it's something died in in all of this but think thirteen percent of black youth addicted to drugs thirty percent away due to dictate a drug sixty five percent of convictions in america are black if you want to deal with criminality you start on wall street look at insider trading market manipulation fraudulent accounting why is it not one exe

kxas shows the fireball, the blast ripping through the west fertilizer plant in west texas. >> it wasfire prior to the explosion. it was fully engulfed when i arrived. >> firefighters were on the scene as well as ems when the explosion occurred. >> i have no idea how many ems may be hurt z a blast so strong, many thought it was an earthquake. >> massive, just like iraq, just like the murray building in oklahoma city, same kind of explosion. you can imagine what kind of damage we are looking at there. >> it rattled everything in the house. it took my breath away. >> 75 buildings including homes, a middle school and nursing home damaged or destroyed. >> there are homes leveled. there are businesses leveled. there is massive

you were down in west, texas.s this the thing everyone is talking about, the hundreds of fertilizer facilities across the state are secured and properly protected? it should be a national issue not a texas one. it is not the biggest industry in the state. if it were it would probably be more aggressively regulated. we've seen texas do that on a lot of industries including oil. state agencies fall down on the job a bit and we'll have plenty to blame them for i'm sure in the weeks to come but also half a dozen federal agencies that had warning signs about this particular retail facility and didn't enforce the laws they already had. >> or allowed an emergency management plan with no sprinklers. there are a lot of details. when you start sifting through the trail it just does not look like it was a particularly tightly managed, regulated enterprise. >> certainly yeah. you kind of have to wonder how many others there are like this across the country. i think regulation tends to focus on really big targets. factories, r

mashek drive north of the city of west. approximately 7:00, that plant exploded. >> okay. >> the explosion propelled in a northwest direction. it damaged approximately a five-block area around that fertilizer plant. the fertilizer plant was fully engulfed, and that in turn caught the intermediate school on fire. a number of houses, a number of houses in that area are completely destroyed or damaged. we are evacuating now. we are doing a search and rescue at this time. the nursing home, which was two blocks away, has been completely evacuated, and those patients have been accounted for and are moved to a safe location. we are now going through door to door and evacuating that area and searching for survivors, as well as for deceased. >> the mayor of west texas, he's also a volunteer firefighter. he wears two hats, it's that kind of town. it's a small american town. he described that mushroom cloud as something from an atomic bomb. that's what he said when he was looking at it. >> you know, and we want to recap the amount of

most of the people in west know everybody in west.ded from some of those first settlers. hearty immigrants who crossed an ocean and kept on going. for you there is no such thing as a stranger. when someone is in need, you reach out to them and you support them. you do what it takes to help them carry on. that's what happened last wednesday when a fire alarm sounded across a quiet

west is a small town. much as west right now, is really in the thick of it because this is where the hospitals are. this is where at least 100 injured are being treated as we speak. >> the "houston chronicle" also sharing with us their headline that you'll be seeing as you wake up. this one says "fiery explosion rocks small town near waco." when we talk about west, texas, and how small it really is, one funeral home. god knows how many funerals they're going to have to be dealing with. one stretch, which is considered the main drag. a railroad runs through it as well. we're not talking about a whole lot of people, 2,800 people in this town, and more than 100 of them injured. >> quick shot here, and this is from the paper in dallas. you talk about small town, and you can see it right here. >> there it is. >> you can see the diner. you can see the mushroom cloud. 2.1 on the richter scale, this explosion, by the way, folks. that's how powerful it was. >> some of the things we haven't gotten to this morning, w

most of the people in west know everybody in west. many of you are probably descended from some of those first settlers, hardy immigrants kept going. for you there is no such thing as a stranger. someone in need you reach out to them and you support them. do you what it takes to help them carry on. that's what happened last wednesday. when a fire alarm sounded across a quiet texas evening. the call went out to volunteers, not professionals, people who just love to surf. people who want to help their neighbors. are call went out to car sales men and directors and funeral directors the city secretary and the mayor went out to folks who were tough enough and selfless enough to put in a full day's work and then be ready for more. together you answered the call, you dropped your schoolwork, left your e trucks and rushed to the flames and when you got to the scene fear and fought that blaze as hard as you could knowing the danger, buying time so others could escape and then about 20 minutes after the first alarm, the earth shook and the sky

it's windy out here, we're about a half mile north and west of the fert lidzer plant. you can see there is some debris in the field. the force ofndu went into the opposite direction. we've talked with fwhonz ran from their homes. a family that lived in the apartment building that was destroyed we'll have their story for you tonight at 6:00. >> laura, thank you very much. incredible stories coming out of texas and video of the blast. in one clip you can see the blast and hear a man's frightened daughter. listen. >> i can't here, get out of here, get out of here. >> just terrifying. the father says both are okay and they are hearin been stedhe ears re want to sho il fot dwleez have come from west texas. remarkable shots. here is a google earth satellite image. there is the plant right there. all is well. here is a picture of what it looked like today after the explosion and fire as you can see leveled and gone. at the spot where the plant stood until about 21 hours ago. looks like a wasteland. this is what is left of a 50 unit apartment complex near the plant. rescuers

i live at 1415 masonic avenue which is one block over to the west and down a little bit behind the 61 1 buena vista. thanks for your time here. ~ i don't want to repeat what has been said, quite a bit today. this is really an unusual situation. for one thing, we probably had everything not necessarily under control, but everything was in harmony. the house was as it is today and now we find that they want to increase the footprint and the visual footprint of this house in this little tiny spot. so, my view is that it's a very disproportionate situation and the main thing that -- how it impacts me and my wife, we've lived there for 25 years, is the light and glare that comes off the back of the house. obviously they want to have some views to the ocean so they have a lot of glass. in my view it's a disproportionate amount of glass. it does impact the light and glare that we get. so, thank you very much. >> thank you. next speaker. hello. >>> [singing] ♪ so, come with me and share the oceanview i hope you get good luck with your item review hold this item now judge it now nothing's goin

most of the people in west know everybody in west. many of you are probably descendant from some of those first settlers. immigrants who crossed an ocean and kept on going. so for you, there's no such thing as a stranger. when someone's in need, you reach out to them and you support them. you do what it takes to help them carry on. that's what happened last wednesday when a fire alarm sounded across a quiet texas evening. as we've heard, the call went out to volunteers, not professionals. people who just loved to serve. people who want to help their neighbors. a call went auout to farmers, c salesmen, welders, funeral home directors. the city's secretary and the mayor. it went out to folks who are tough enough and selfless enough to put in a full day's work and then be ready for more. and together, you answered the call. you dropped your schoolwork, left your families, jumped in fire trucks and rushed to the flames. and when you got to the scene, you forgot fear and you fought that blaze as hard as you could knowing the danger. buying