‘Major incident’ in downtown Fort Worth, Texas: Police

09/01/2024

An explosion at a downtown Fort Worth, Texas, hotel possibly caused by a gas leak injured 11 people, sent heavy debris across a block and forced nearby employees to evacuate Monday afternoon.

Fort Worth Fire Department officials said one person is in critical condition following the explosion at the Sandman Signature Hotel, which occurred around 3:30 p.m. local time.

There was one person who is currently unaccounted for, according to the hotel owner. It was not immediately clear if the missing person was an employee or a guest.

Firefighters were seen going through debris from the incident spread throughout the street, including window pieces and parts of the exterior.

Fire department officials said a gas leak was part of the incident, but they couldn’t immediately determine if it caused the explosion.

“We do know that there was some construction that was being done down at the restaurant. We’re not 100% sure that that’s where it actually started at this point in time,” Forth Worth Fire Department spokesman Craig Trojacek told reporters at a news conference.

The investigation is ongoing and first responders are continuing to search throughout the building.

“We’ll talk about the structural integrity … after that, and we’re just trying to make sure that when we walk out of that building, we can definitively say that we’ve got everybody removed from that structure,” Trojacek said.

The hotel, located near the Fort Worth Convention Center, opened last May following an extensive reconversion of the Waggoner Building, a Fort Worth historical building.

The building was originally built in 1920, and “many of the original features” were retained during the conversion, according to the hotel’s website.

Gov.

Greg Abbott said in a statement that he was monitoring the situation and ready to deploy additional resources if needed

This is a developing story.

Check back for updates.