Cleanup, investigation continues after explosion at Sandman Hotel in Fort Worth
January 9,2024
See full CBS News article by Julia Falcon and S.E. Jenkins here.
The investigation continued overnight Monday into Tuesday morning following an explosion that happened at the Sandman Hotel in downtown Fort Worth.
Twenty-one people were injured Monday as a result of a gas explosion at a historic downtown Fort Worth hotel, according to police.
As a result, there are street closures at 7th Street, 9th Street and Houston Street; 7th Street, 9th Street and Throckmorton Street; and Houston Street, 8th Street and Main Street. This is considered the "hot zone."
J. Pollozani with the Fort Worth Police Department advises that if you work in the hot zone to stay away, as it is considered an immediate danger zone.
Atmos Energy, which sent technicians to the area Monday, said gas service was isolated and turned off to the area. The corporation has conducted additional safety checks and is working to restore service outside the affected area.
Currently, the Fort Worth Fire Department and Fort Worth Police Department are handling cleanup and investigation. Pollozani said that as of now, everyone involved with the explosion is accounted for.
Cleanup is expected to take several days, he said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, one patient injured as a result of the explosion was transferred to Parkland for major burns, two were admitted for injuries at JPS and four were treated and released. The Fort Worth Fire Chief Jim Davis said he believes all the patients are all adults and no children were injured.
JPS said it received notice patients from an explosion would be brought to its Level 1 Trauma Center at 3:46 p.m. Twenty minutes later, the first patient arrived, for a total of seven patients throughout the evening.
"As a 14-year Level I Trauma Center, we had already deployed our incident command system to care for these patients," Jessica Virnoche, with JPS Health Network, stated. "We had three surgeons in the trauma bays and were able to take care of these patients in an expeditious fashion. One patient was transferred to Parkland for major burns. Two patients were admitted for their injuries here, and four were treated and released."
FEMA structural experts were brought in Monday night along with cadaver dogs to make sure no one was trapped.
"We can confidently say at this point we have no indication that anybody is missing," said Davis.
Davis said the city's structural engineer believes there is no imminent risk of collapse. Additional experts have been brought in to make sure the building is safe as crews remove debris.
As soon as the building was rendered safe, crews were sent in to remove people's belongings from the building that they needed immediately, like medications or travel documents. They're setting up an area where hotel occupants can come back to pick up their things from inside.
If you have personal property at the hotel, visit the Zipper building located at 275 13th St. Go to the bay door on the West (Monroe St) side of the building. it will be open until 10 p.m.Tuesday and reopens Wednesday at 7 a.m. All property from the hotel rooms will be at this location.
The first call came in at 3:32 p.m., followed by multiple calls reporting a "type of explosion" at the Sandman Hotel, located at 810 Houston St., according to the Fort Worth Fire Department.
Witnesses say the blast was so powerful, it shook the entire block and blew out windows at nearby buildings.
In video of the aftermath, there is debris scattered across multiple blocks in downtown Fort Worth and large chunks of walls and window frames blown out.
The Fort Worth Fire Department says that while they believe the explosion is related to natural gas, they're still working with the ATF and the FBI to determine what exactly triggered the blast.
The Sandman Hotel Group released the following statement to CBS News Texas on Tuesday:
"Our hearts remain with everyone who was affected, and we continue to stay in close contact and provide support to team members who have been injured. Our primary focus is supporting those who have been impacted, as well as the safety and well-being of staff, guests, and the local community.
We are also working with the fire department to contact our guests and reunite them with their belongings as quickly as possible. We want to thank the first responders, local officials, the city and council, and the state for their support during this difficult time. We appreciate everyone's patience and understanding as we navigate this evolving situation.
We are cooperating with officials as they investigate the cause of the explosion and the extent of the damage. We continue to follow the direction of emergency services and will provide updates as they become available."
If you have questions about the hot zone or have a business in the hot zone, you can contact the emergency operations center for assistance at 817-392-8866.
Atmos said if you suspect a natural gas leak, leave the area immediately and call Atmos Energy's 24-hour toll-free emergency number at 866.322.8667.
Fort Worth Police Chief Neil Noakes said there are no signs of intent to cause the blast at the downtown hotel.
"First of all, there is significant damage in the hotel," said Noakes. "We have absolutely no indication that there was any intent by anyone to cause this explosion."
City leadership is meeting Wednesday to discuss any potential changes or impacts the explosion and street closures may have on the several big events/parades happening in Fort Worth soon.
Location Mentioned: Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel