this happened in the center of downtown west texas. we are not talking about geographically speaking west. we are talking about the town is called west, texas. it is about 20 miles north of waco and 80 miles south of dallas. the firefighters had said this happened in the downtown area. the winds are blowing to the south. all of the people south have been evacuated. the wind was carrying the chemical fumes. the concern has been in the next few hours around 7:00, 8:00 in the morning that these winds are going to shift to the north. if that happens obviously the people up wind, north of the low cation could be this dangerous -- north of the location could be in danger. they are looking at the weather patterns very closely as well and monitoring that situation. it is not just the fires, but it is not just the smoldering debris they are concerned about. it is the chemical that appears to be lingering in the air, elizabeth. >> for some of the viewers who were tuning in, you left from dallas late last night and traveled through the early morn

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

we are keeping an eye on west, texas. please stay with us. we will have more for you after the break. >>> this is a fox news alert. we are in washington, d.c. and keeping our eyes on this developing situation in west, texas right outside of waco where there was an explosion at a fertilizer plant around 8:00 p.m. last night when firefighters were responding to a reported burn, fire at the facility when the explosion occurred. that being said there are a number of folks in health care facilities and hospitals all over texas. joining us now on the phone is brett who is the ceo of the health center in waco. brett, thank you for joining us this early morning hours. we want to give our condolences to those families who are injured and those who can't locate their families at this time. >> thank you for having me, elizabeth. >> now, there is a lot of people we are hearing having difficulties getting in touch with their family members. we know that there are hundreds of people who were injured, and it has got to be a state of chaos right now. can you

nbc's charles hadlock live in west, texas. we should 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

we're talking about a town called west texas. it is in particular the west fertilizer plant, as you saw right there, that just exploded. we are awaiting a press conference. now let's go to west texas and a fox news reporter there has been up all night. he joins us live. we understand we just heard from the sergeant from waco that they're considering it a crime scene. >> yeah. they pointed out that is basically standard operating procedure because they, frankly, haven't had a chance to get in there and look around, but officials with the a.t.f. are going to be conducting the investigation. they did say that although it's being deemed a crime scene at this hour, they are quick to point out that they believe at this point that this was an accident. obviously this is a time in america when a lot of people are on heightened alert. everyone is doing due diligence based off of the news that we've been dealing with coming out of boston this week. but the mayor of this little community told us right from the get go that it looks as if thi

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

local time in the town of west, texas. a fire 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 invo

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

this is tape of the fertilizer plant again in west, texas. not the area west, texas, the down test, texas which i again an hour's drive south of dallas. one of the immediate concerns for the hospitals is they could not fly life flight helicopters because it was too windy. not too long ago windy conditions is subsided enough to allow you helicopters to get back in the air and air lift passengers and then air lift the wounded back to hospitals for treatment. one hospital has taken in dozens and dozens of injured. that hospital is about 20 minutes away from this scene. now, firefighters apparently have been hurt in all of this. witnesses describe a devastating blast. every house within about four blocks one witness says is blown apart. again, this is a fertilizer plant. and fertilizer as you may well know can be explosive because of the components in fertilizer and in this case it certainly has been. we saw just a quick glimpse i think a moment ago of a football fieldeer inby being used as a staging area. a local high school football field lit u

west, texas is home to about 2600 people! rose mary, responders have set up a field triage station on a football field near the plant. a local hospital ceo has told us that six helicopters flew out some of the injured while others were being taken by ambulance, car, emergency officials have sent hazardous material teams to the scene to try to deal with the an hydrous ammonia which is a fertilizer and also considered toxic. >> now, we do want to give you a number if you need more information about the victims of this fertilizer plant explosion in texas. the hillcrest hospital has set up an information number to call. 254-202-1100. that's 254-202-1100. >> texas policeman spoke to the media after returning to the scene. he confirmed there were fatalities, but he says the situation remains fluid. wilson went onto say that the plant remains smoldering and that firefighters have not been able to get inside. >> we do have confirmed fatalities. the number is not current yet. tkt go up by the minute. we're in there searching the area

west texas. joe berti ran the marathon and crossed the finish line just moments before the explosion and then headed to west, texas. >> you see a picture of a nuclear explosion and that's what it looks like. it was just massive. on the left side of the highway. obviously shocked to see another explosion after having just come back from boston. >> i can't even imagine but thankfully both of them are okay. >>> more than four days after that huge explosion at a fertilizer plant in central texas officials say everyone is accounted for. 14 people were killed. 200 injured and of those 14, authorities say 10 were first responders. nbc's gabe gutierrez reports from west, texas. >> reporter: new video after it exploded in a 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

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

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

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

and west texas. can you give us a good idea of the folks there? the character there? we need to be send a lot of prayers to people there. can you let people know what folks are like in waco? >> caller: it's a really tight-knit community. 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 cla

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 out and we heard this loud boom and the wh

we're live in west, texas. we continue 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

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

martin savidge is on the ground in west texas, arrived just hours ago. the pictures we're looking are are staggering. what's going on now? >> reporter: the mental sense that's impacted this small town in texas. it has been a blast that has leveled people in many different ways. right now the effort is focused on still trying to evacuate those who may be caught up in the area of danger where there are the fumes from this fertilizer plant and also trying to rescue those who could be trapped in any of the debris. the first wave of those who could be injured, well over 150 people, have been transported. injuries range from minor to the severe. the second wave anticipated is when daylight comes because that's when authorities will have a greater ability to maneuver. it's very dark out around the plant now. it's very dangerous. but the threat of another explosion with the possibility of poisonous gas. there's so much debris, officials say, that it makes it very difficult for them to move around. here's what the public information officer told us just a few min

plant in west texas, at least three are confirmed dead. but authorities fear that number will rise. >> and a break in the case. investigators circulate photos of two men who could be suspects in the boston bombings. >> hello, and welcome to world report. i'm rose mary church. >> and i'm john boyles. this is cnn's major coverage of two major stories from the united states. we begin with breaking news, a fire and a huge explosion at a fertilizer plant in texas. residents are being evacuated from a town in west. and there are fears that a second large, fertilizer tank may explode. there are at least three confirmed fatalities. but authorities say that number could go much higher. we'd like to take a moment to show you this video that was posted on kwkt.com. it appears to be what looks to be a secondary explosion after the initial fire. >> the blast sent huge flames and a plume of smoke into the air. the u.s. geological survey says the blast measured 2.1. >> we do have confirmed fatalities. we're making sure that it's safe for the people aroun

a populated area in the town of west, texas. have 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 f

kxas shows the fireball, the blast ripping through the west fertilizer plant in west texas. >> it was on fire 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

even so, chemicals at the west, texas, plant -- officials at the west, texas, plant told officials that the ammonia at the facility wasn't, wasn't a fire risk. at least for now. according to the dallas morning news, a report filed with the federal agency says the worst case scenario at the facility would be a ten-minute gas release that wouldn't hurt anyone. meanwhile, our affiliate wfaa reports that the plant was fined back in 2006 for having an inadequate risk management plan in place. let's talk a little bit more about all of this with our senior medical correspondent, elizabeth cohen. first of all, hospitals. west, texas. small town. under 3,000 people. not far from waco where they do have some significant hospitals. here in boston, for example, there are major hospitals within a few miles of the bombing that occurred. bombings that occurred. it's different there. >> it is a very different situation, wolf. we're standing right where the marathon bombs went off. there are six level one trauma centers within two miles of us. six within two miles. in texas, these people had to travel 2

just a massive situation in west, texas. we got some pictures now of a mushroom cloud, new pictures. take a look at this. that is the massive, massive mushroom cloud the mayor described earlier on the telephone. >> this is tommy musca you're about to hear. he is also a volunteer firefighter who says he was on his way to fight a fire that occurred at this chemical plant when it exploded. >> what i do know is approximately 6:30 there was a fire at the fertilizer plant on jerry marshall drive, north of the city of west. approximately 7:00 that plant exploded. the explosion propelled in a northwest direction. it damaged approximately a five-block area around that fertilizer plant. the fertilizer plant was fully engulfed. that, in turn, caught the intermediate school on fire. 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. a nursing home, which was two blocks away, has been completely evacuated, and those patients have been accounted for an

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

. >> that man is the mayor of west texas. officials held a news conference saying that the danger more explosions has passed but air quality officials are monitoring potentially dangerous fumes coming from the plant and a nursing home had to be evacuated when part of the roof collapsed after the blast. injuries are reporting there. the mayor says the city is trying to set up a hotline to find loved ones and police are checking on residents door-to-door. most injuries are from cuts from flying glass. there is no indication this is anything but an accident but it is being treated as a crime scene as a precaution. >> our abc7 news reporter is headed to west texas and will have live reports on abc7 news and tweet updates for us. stay with us for continuing coverage of the plant explosion with updates on abc7news.com and follow us on twitter@abcnewsbayarea for breaking new developments. >> officials combing surveillance video are saying they have significant progress on the bombing at the boston marathon. there is new information

he is originally from the town of west, texas. i understand you are in hillsboro which is 20 miles from the blast site in west, texas. first and foremost before an update on your clients there, did you also feel the blast late last night? >> yes, ma'am. it went on for about 15, 20 seconds, shook the entire house. >> so you were home at the time or were you at work at the time? >> i was at home at the time. >> so you said it shook for about 15 to 20 seconds. initially did you think it was an earthquake? what was your reaction? >> i had no idea. my fiancee thought it was an earthquake. there was a lot of people confused. there are updates on facebook asking if we were okay because there was an earthquake in the area. >> are you back at work this evening? i am under the impression that a lot of folks really have no where to go tonight. >> yes, i am working overnight from now until 6:00 in the morning. >> tell me the stories you are hearing. are you hearing folks were displaced from their homes or people who can't get in touch with lo

this is happening in the town of west, texas, 20 miles from waco. the massive explosion and fire at a fertilizer plant in west, texas, left flames leaping in the night sky. the blast could be heard if miles. it registered as an earthquake because it was so strong. there were 180 injuries and numerous deaths. (inaudible). there was shrapnel flying everywhere. (inaudible). >> the explosion leveled up to 75 to 100 homes and businesses around the laboratory. officials are going home to home looking for victims. >> the most devastating thing that has happened to this community, a big old cut we have across our heart. >> the blast damaged the nursing home forcing evacuation of 130 patients. >> some were in wheelchairs and others were trapped in their rooms. authorities set up a triage center on the football field of the school but concerns of chemicals or another explosion forced officials to gather at another school. >> devastating. our house is destroyed. i was standing outside on the street watching the flames when the explosion hit. >> the city mayor

a west texas nursing home was part of the many buildings damaged in the blast. now more than eleven different nursing homes across central texas are opening their doors to the patients who were displaced. one of the patients describes the horror she felt after the nursing home she was in collapsed around her. >> i was watching tv in the dining room then i heard this big loud explosion and then the ceiling collapsed on top of me. i was scared i just screamed and screamed. >> what went to remind? >> i was scared. >> now that the displaced residents have a place to stay, they can turn their attention towards the future. qaida-affiliated group savidge. what started the fire that patients who were displaced. >> five backcountry snowboarders were found dead saturday after being trapped by an avalanche in colorado's white river national forest. authorities say six snowboarders were caught in the slide saturday afternoon.but one member of the group survived. they were snowboarding at loveland pass.about 50 miles west of denver. the condition of the lone survivor was not

let's listen in. >> 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 ammonia in there. we realized the volatility 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 of their response, there was a massive explosion at that fertilizer plant. they were in the process of removing people from homes, 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 in that area. there are victims that were in homes. there are victims from the nursing home. and there are victims also from an apartment complex. i can tell you that once they started trying to clear the injured out, there were a tremend

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

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

from west texas, david scott, back to you. >> that is just rough all wait around. we will find out more as the sun has come up down in texas. to give you an idea about this city, west texas, a very small town with a population of 2700 people, one man says they only have three ambulances in the entire town and at least one of them was already at that plant when the blast went off. which will, of course, continue following this story throughout the morning. starting at 5:00, the "today" show will be along and bring you the latest starting at 7:00. >>> right here in the bay area, we have breaking news in san francisco where a bomb squad, a bomb squad unit is now on the scene of a suspicious package located in that financial district. >>> "today in the bay's" christie smith is live near market and third street. she has the latest on scene. good. >> reporter: good morning. we are on the 600 block of market street. they are blocking off all access points. the area in question is right on the other side of the yellow tape. i don't know if you can see a vehicle down there.

david scott in west texas. back to you. >> thank you very much, david. we are learning that neighborhoods very close to the plant are certainly so damaged. this is new video that was blown out of storefronts in the area near the blast zone. the impact of that blast was felt as far away as 25 miles. the explosion could be heard as far as 45 miles away. the blast itself was so strong it registered as a 2.1 magnitude seismic event according to the u.s. geological service. >> that will give you some perspective. firefighters responding to a fire at 6:00 last night. five or six of the firefighters were inside the plant when the explosion went off about 50 minutes later. not all have yet been accounted for. so far this morning, the fire, the good ews, we can tell you, it is under control. people who live in that area, being urged to stay away from that plant, not get close, because of the possibility of new explosions and ammonia leaks from the plant. >>> texas governor, rick perry, has mobile looized resources to with resources. >> he tweeted out thoughts and

there will be an update in the morning from west texas. and in daylight the reality and the horror in that city of 2600. >> pam: bay bridge safety concerns with still released documents. bay bridge safety concerns still unfolding. newly released documents show. state transportation officials expressed concern about the integrity of some of the steel components for the new bridge, more than four years ago. according to published reports. in 2008. cal-trans criticized the bridge contractor. for rushing the test schedule. and delivering products that did not meet specifications. this information comes as engineers try to determine what caused dozens of metal rods -- like this one-- to snap, earlier this year. the parts are meant to keep the bridge safe during an earthquake. cal-trans is still working on a fix. it's not known if the bridge's planned labor day opening will be affected. >> pam: the u-s senate blocked a proposal to expand background checks on gun sales. the plan failed to get the 60 votes needed to pass. families petition to the

coming up last wednesday's explosion at the west texas chemical and fertilizer company plant killed fourteen people and destroyed hundreds of homes we all know that texas heats regulation but couldn't big government have helped prevent one of the worst workplace disasters in recent memory more on this just a moment. ago in the republican. in the state of. texas. has got all the gas and everything in the. everything you can survive but. state would say the. straw. bread and an independent. republic of texas see. the mission of free accreditation free zones for charges free. range month free. free studio time free. old free broadcast quality video for your media projects a free media. tom. more news today. again fled the film these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. operations are today. on thursday president obama will attend a memorial service for the victims of the fertilizer plant explosion last week in the city of west texas the latest death toll in that small city is fourteen with more than two hundred injured and some still missing the explosion was so

"today in the bay's" david scott is in west texas. we will check in with him for a live update coming up in a few minutes. >>> breaking news. san francisco ace bomb squad has just given the all-clear for a suspicious package found in the financial district. kiss christie smith is live. >> reporter: market street is back open, shut down for a couple of hours. they opened it 5, 10 minutes ago. an officer pulled down the tape. what they are telling me is that the suspicious package on the 700 block was actually a suitcase. it was left closed. that's why they are being so cautious. people are going to be gathering there this morning. that's why they brought in the bomb squad. the fountain is where the 1906 earthquake explosion is supposed to take place. the commemoration, instead, moved to union square at the last minute. now, what happened, about 2:47 this morning, san francisco police were notified about that suspicious package. an officer tells me they sent in a robot. it just turned out to be a harmless suitcase. i asked what was insi

charles hadlock in west, texas, for us. charles, thanks. we'll have the latest on the boston bombing probe in a moment. turning now to the first major legislative defeat of the president's second term. four months after president obama called the country to action in the wake of the newtown shootings, using all of the power of the presidency to push gun safety measures, every measure he championed went down to defeat on the senate floor. when the compromise took shape, there was optimism they could get something through the senate but this bill to expand background checks for gun buyers only managed to win 54 votes. it needed 60 to move forward. >> shame on you! >> there will be order in the senate. >> the tucson shooting survivor who wrestled a third gun clip away from gerald loughner screamed when they heard the measure had failed and were escorted out of the capitol. four democrats voted no and four republicans voted for it. after the background check legislation which the white house believed had the best chance of passing was defeated.

matt lauer is covering another breaking story in the town of west, texas. that huge explosion of a fertilizer plant there. we'll check in with matt for the latest on that in a moment. as i turn to al and natalie as we watch this extraordinary moment. i know you are tracking developments. >> we're trying to obviously an abundance of caution because there's so much information on the internet right now and until we know more, pete williams has shown us that you have to be very careful with all of the information you see on the social networks out there right now. >> one thing that's always reliable is al's forecast. let's do the weather. >> we have had a lot of changeable weather going on. in fact, we were telling you about the rain yesterday. parts of the midwest, chicago, over 5.5 inches of rain in one day. that's more than they usually get for the month of april. right now we have flood warnings. river flood warnings and flash flood warnings in effect for much of the midwest and there's more rain going on. you can see it pushing toward the east and so we a

cnn's david mattingly is in west, texas, as well. david, do authorities have a handle yet on how many people might be missing? >> reporter: well, here we are about 17 hours after that blast, and the answer is, no. and there's a couple of reasons for that. first of all, there's search and rescue operations that are ongoing right now. you just saw how badly damaged the buildings are a good distance away from the blast site. 50 to 60 homes, we were told, have been damaged. roofs peeled back, walls collapsed. some of these structures are just too dangerous for rescuers to go inside to conduct their search, so, they have to be shored up before anyone can go inside. the last thing you want right now is further injuries from people trying to help others. a second reason is in the chaos last night, there were some people who were able to just leave the scene after the explosion. they were lucky enough to be able to flee on their own. there were others like the injured of the ambulances, the police that showed up there at the scene, just putt

coming up last wednesday's explosion at the west texas chemical and fertilizer company plant killed fourteen people and destroyed hundreds of homes we all know that texas heats regulation but couldn't big government have helped prevent one of the worst workplace disasters in recent memory more on this just a moment. let me let me one we're going to let me ask you a question from. here on this network is what we're having the debate we have our knives out if. we do this right what's the best thing never get here in a situation where b. and i don't even talk about the surveillance me. you know sometimes you see a story and it seems so for lengthly you think you understand it and then you glimpse something else and you hear or see some other part of it and realized everything you thought you knew you don't know i'm sorry welcome to the big picture . here is mitt romney trying to figure out the name of that thing that we americans call a dog. i'm sorry i'm just a guy who cares enough about my country you sir are a fool you know what that is my theory sells they want the usa to feature race and t

. >> reporter: their moment of crisis for families in a small town of west, texas, came at 7:29 p.m., with a fire raging at their giant fertilizer depot. >> everybody needs to get away from there. back all trucks away from the plant. >> reporter: a small team of firefighters answering the call, worried the whole thing could blow. then at 7:53, the sound no one here will soon forget. [ blast ] >> are you okay? >> i can't hear. get out of here, please get out of here! >> reporter: the plant blew to pieces. >> we need every ambulance we can get. a bomb just went off inside here. it's pretty bad. >> reporter: a mushroom cloud of smoke filled the sky. >> what is it? >> i don't know. >> it looked like, you remember seeing atomic bomb, you know, that plume. well, there it was. >> reporter: by 8:15 there were five firefighters missing, two >> we got a lot of firemen down. >> reporter: the nursing home across the street, blasted. a nearby apartment building destroyed. >> oh, my god. >> reporter: at 8:30, betty tucker, three blocks down was trapped and says a neighbor helped pull her out from u

correspondent ramon glenda working hard for us in west texas thank you sara. and now the very latest on a story we've been covering quite frequently here on our team the transpacific partnership is a u.s. led free trade agreement that involves the countries you see here on this map in southeast asia as well as south america one new country is looking to join and that being japan the u.s. has already approved japan to become one of the partners a move that still needs partner nations australia canada new zealand and peru to give the go ahead other countries have already agreed so what is the t p p well it is a free trade agreement described by the public citizens as the north american free trade agreement on steroids and it's still shrouded in secrecy but we do know that the partnership would involve nearly forty percent of the world's economy and has been a negotiation since the bush administration and is one of president obama's top administrators priorities c.p.p. rules that would actually override any national laws including those regarding internet freedom

you were down in west, texas. is 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,

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

. >>> dozens of residents in west texas remain unaccounted for tonight. the blast created a seismic event leveling a large swath of the town. but what caused this mysterious disaster. we search for the answers. >> reporter: the fire at the fertilizer plant here rocked this small town to its core. >> everybody needs to get away from there. back all trucks away from the plant. >> reporter: 7:29 p.m. yesterday, a fire raged. the flames so big, so bright, neighbored out their cameras and hit record. then at 7:53, the one thing that everyone watching feared the most. >> i can't hear. >> let's get out of here, please, get out of here. >> a father with his daughter right beside him in the car captures it all. their voices turn to terror. >> dad, please get out of here. >> the girl heard screaming is 12-year-old chloe. her father had stopped at a nearby school when they saw the smoke. >> we knew it was an explosion. we didn't think it was going to be that bad. >> reporter: the fertilizer depot, part of this west, texas, landscape for more than half a century, gon

trying to help 1 another recover and rebuild west texas. in west texas, laura anthony abc 7 news. >> one man in sacramento certainly feeling the stress and impact of the texas disaster. his mother lives there. she's okay. but his friends may not be. lee painter has the story. >> text went out several hours ago. and i haven't heard from anybody on any of them. >>reporter: the only thing darrell bed can do right now is text. from west, texas all of his family and friends are still there. he fell on hard times moving to northern california. his mother text through prepaid cell phone how he found out almost everyone in the hometown now homeless, time. back window of the house no notice to evacuation ate and all of a sudden the explosion just happened. she said it was like a bomb going off. she felt the house raise up and drop back down on to the groun ground. >>reporter: his mother lives jaws mile from the plant and survived unharmed. the text said that several of his friends had not. >> i can't give you the names but i do have the names of 7 p

massive fertilizer plant explosion in west, texas. the town's mayor says, the death toll from last night's blast has risen to 35. kron 4's j-r stone has the latest. >> reporter:continuing our coverage of the explosion in texas, the city of west sits in a very rural area. and the blast shook the entire community. it was just a major major explosion! the bond pit picture up and drop to it exploded all round new! the damage could be done far and wide. houses left in ruins and grooves and ripped apart it was utterly destroyed. and now much of the town is still closed off a search and rescue crews still search for survivors. what would you compare this to? a bomb nothing but a bomb there still in the search and rescue face of the process. pam now bactria kron 4's charles clifford the area. it was on fire it was a real heavy blaze and then all the sudden it just exploded maybe 50 ft. maybe farther than that. all the windows are blown man a sonic boom i ended up face down. you weren't there you do not know you do not know we could have been