An explosion has blown apart the West Fertilizer plant near Waco, in the US state of Texas, killing several people and injuring at least 160 people.
Firefighters continue to look for survivors in the charred rubble of homes destroyed by the explosion. The operation remained in "search-and-rescue mode" and was not yet in "recovery mode", police officials said on Thursday.
The blast also shattered the windows of houses and shops in surrounding streets. Employees have started to clear up the devastation in some of the stores.
The remains of the plant continue to smoulder. Emergency services officials said ammonia may have caused the explosion.
A plume of smoke could earlier be seen rising from the scene of the blast. Firefighters, ambulances and six helicopters were sent to deal with the situation.
Firefighters tackled property blazes near the fertiliser plant throughout the night.
A nearby nursing home was evacuated in the wake of the blast.
A local school sports stadium was being used as a staging area for the injured. Police said half the town had been evacuated, amid fears of possible further explosions or a leak of toxic gas.
McLennan County Sheriff Parnell McNamara said: "It's a lot of devastation. I've never seen anything like this. It looks like a war zone with all the debris."
As well as the devastation close to the site, shops up to a mile away were affected by the massive blast.
- Published18 April 2013
