Fume fear after plant explosion
a mum whose daughter was found clinging to her body. The child had hypothermia but is in a stable condition. State governor Greg Abbott warned on Wednesday: “The worst is not yet over for south east Texas.”
Authorities in nearby city Beaumont, where 118,000 people have no running water, are coordinating the rescue effort with a stream of volunteers with boats.
Brandon Summer, 27, drove 110 miles to help. He said: “The looks on the people’s faces we have brought to safety will live with me forever. There will be no stopping until we know everyone is safe.” TWO explosions rocked a flooded chemical plant outside Houston, sending “incredibly dangerous” fumes into the air.
Officials said they “fully expect” more fires to break out as a further eight containers blew up due to “over pressurisation”.
After the first blasts, which happened just before 1am yesterday, bosses at the Arkema plant in Crosby warned of imminent danger.
Flames rose 40ft in the air and black clouds of smoke spewed out. Arkema said they thought a “non-toxic irritant” had been released and it “might be irritating to the eyes, skin and lungs”.
But head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency Brock Long said: “The plume is incredibly dangerous.”
After it became flooded, the plant was unable to refrigerate chemical compounds that needed to be kept cool and residents within a one-and-a-half-mile radius were evacuated.
Fifteen police officers needed hospital treatment after being affected by smoke.