Fort Worth police are warning people to steer clear of downtown after an explosion was reported at the Sandman Signature Hotel in the 800 block of Houston Street.
At 4:02 p.m. the Fort Worth Fire Department posted to X that it was tending to “a major incident in downtown.” Images circulating online show destruction, including ground floor windows blown out onto the street. As of 4:38 p.m. the cause of the blast is now believed to be from a gas leak inside the hotel.
DEVELOPING- downtown Fort Worth explosion. Witnesses tell me they did not smell a strong odor of gas. One man says closer to the scene it smelled like paint burning. pic.twitter.com/Hra1fAwadm
— Dionne Anglin (@DAnglinFox4) January 8, 2024
Fox 4 reporter Dionne Anglin posted to X regarding the scene of the explosion, “Witnesses tell me they did not smell a strong odor of gas. One man says closer to the scene it smelled like paint burning.”
Reports of injuries have begun to trickle out. At 4:29 p.m. Fox 4 reporter Peyton Yager said on X that “according to Medstar, at least 11 people are injured.” Brian Curtis from NBC 5 reported that of those injured, one is in critical condition, with two suffering severe injuries and the remaining dealing with injuries that are not life-threatening.
Later on Monday night, officials with Medstar told the media that a total of 21 injuries were sustained, with one being critical and four being serious.Explosion in downtown Fort Worth, TX at the Sandman Hotel
— Peyton Yager (@peytonyager) January 8, 2024
According to Medstar, at least 11 people are injured. @FOX4 pic.twitter.com/8V1SHhZrgz
According to the Dallas Morning News, "several people had to be extracted from the hotel’s basement, which also features a restaurant, Musume, Fort Worth fire spokesman Craig Trojacek said at a news conference. Twenty-six rooms were occupied in the hotel at the time of the explosion."
