Massive Blast Destroys Houston Homes, Killing at Least Two
By Simone Jasper and Chacour Koop
Source The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)
A deadly explosion that rocked a Texas city was so big it appeared on weather radar, officials say.
The blast shook northwest Houston at about 4:30 a.m. Friday and killed at least two people, according to KHOU and other news outlets.
Police say a building exploded, leaving behind broken glass and damage to homes, according to KTRK. It knocked homes off foundations, officials said during a news conference.
“This is in essence a disaster area right now,” Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said.
The Houston fire and police departments along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are starting a criminal investigation as part of protocol, Acevedo said.
“We have no evidence at this point that terrorism was involved,” Acevedo said. “We don’t have any evidence that an intentional act was involved. Having said that, when you have this type of incident, part of our protocol is to always conduct a criminal investigation.”
A doorbell camera caught the dramatic moment a bright flash burst through the night sky, according to video posted to Twitter.
The explosion started in a tank of flammable gas at Watson Grinding & Manufacturing, the station reports.
The boom was felt miles away, and it even showed up on weather radar, according to a Twitter post from meteorologist Mike Iscovitz with KRIV.
Radar video from Jeff Lindner of the Harris County Flood Control District confirms the surge in activity around the time of the explosion.
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