Jan. 8 (UPI) — An explosion at a hotel in downtown Fort Worth, Texas, on Monday injured at least 11 people, fire officials said, as pictures from the scene showed streets littered with blown-out glass and debris.
Of the injured, one was in critical condition, another was in serious condition and a 12th person remained missing following the 3:30 p.m. blast, the Fort Worth Fire Department said in a social media update.
The department said a gas leak has been discovered in an initial investigation of the blast at the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel, but it remains undetermined if that is the cause.
Officials said a family reunification center has been established at a nearby parking lot.
Photos and video posted on social media showed windows and doors blown out of the first floor of the multi-story structure, with debris littering the street and smoke rising from the building.
Police said they have closed a two-block radius around the hotel to traffic.
Resident David Brymer told WFAA-TV he felt the explosion eight blocks away.
It shook my bed,” he said, adding, “You could smell the gas in the air. I thought it was an earthquake.”
