Houston explosion at manufacturing plant leaves 2 dead, rattles homes miles away
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Two are dead and 200 homes damaged after a massive explosion overnight Friday at a manufacturing plant, Houston police reported.
Firefighters responded around 4:25 a.m. local time to a building housing Watson Grinding Manufacturing, according to Fox 26 Houston, and the explosion was caused by a propylene gas tank.
The blast rattled houses miles away, the station reported. One homeowner was hospitalized.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This is a disaster area right now," Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said at a news briefing Friday morning. He said anyone caught looting would be arrested and prosecuted.
SPAIN CHEMICAL PLANT EXPLOSION KILLS AT LEAST 1, INJURES 9 OTHERS
Image shows Watson Grinding Manufacturing in Houston after an explosion shortly after 4 a.m. local time Friday. (Fox 26 Houston)
The force of the explosion knocked some homes off their foundation, officials said. One resident recorded the explosion and posted it on Twitter.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“No evacuation order has been given at this time,” the Houston Fire Department tweeted around 7 a.m. local time.
Firefighters battled the blaze for hours and worked to shut off propylene leaking inside the warehouse, the Houston Chronicle reported.
School officials canceled classes at an elementary and a middle school in the area.
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Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo reported a half-mile debris field from the explosion, according to Fox 26.