An explosion at a hotel in Fort Worth, Texas left at least 21 people injured, according to the New York Times and local outlets.
The explosion happened at the Sandman Signature Hotel—which occupies a 102-year-old building and opened in March 2023—in the city’s downtown area on Monday afternoon. Fortunately, no deaths have been reported thus far. One person was reported missing, but they've since been found.
Citing law enforcement, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes that 14 people were taken to hospitals; one is in critical condition and four are in serious condition. The others reportedly sustained minor injuries, with one taking themself to the hospital.
Footage and images from the scene show significant damage on the ground floor of the building. The Star-Telegram says the blast "blew out windows on the first and second floors of the 20-story hotel, sending debris into the streets." The event appears to have occurred in the kitchen of Musume, a restaurant on the basement level that was not yet open for Monday night's service. Three of its employees were among the injured.
Co-founder Josh Babb stated, "All of us at Musume are devastated by the tragic explosion that took place this afternoon at the Sandman Signature Hotel, which is the home of our restaurant. Luckily, Musume was closed during the time of the explosion, so we had no customers dining and limited employees working. Three Musume employees were injured, but are being treated in the hospital and in stable condition."
Musume employee Josè Mira, who climbed out of the rubble, told the Star-Telegram, "Everything fell, the walls, the floor, everything. It’s a miracle I’m alive.”
Craig Trojacek, a spokesman for the Fort Worth Fire Department, said during a news conference, "There is a smell of gas here in downtown. We're not sure if the smell of gas was caused from the explosion or the fire itself, or if that's what caused the explosion."
Firefighters were able to rescue multiple people from the building. According to DFW Scanner, a reunification area was set up for people looking for their loved ones. A spokesperson for Atmos Energy, a gas distribution company for northern Texas, confirmed it's looking into the blast.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said in a statement, "We continue to monitor the situation and stand ready to immediately deploy any additional personnel and resources needed to keep Texans in the area safe and out of harm's way."
