West Fertilizer Company explosion
Explosion site several days after the event | |
| Date | April 17, 2013 |
|---|---|
| Time | 7:50:38 p.m. CDT (UTC−05:00) |
| Location | West Fertilizer Co., 1471 Jerry Mashek Drive, West, Texas, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 31°48′58″N 97°05′17″W / 31.816°N 97.088°W |
| Cause | Unknown, possibly arson (disputed) |
| Deaths | 15 |
| Non-fatal injuries | Approximately 160–200 |
| Property damage | West Fertilizer Company building obliterated, 60–80 homes destroyed, 50–75 homes damaged, 50-unit apartment building destroyed, West Middle School damaged, West Volunteer Ambulance Station and nursing home |
| Convictions | None |
On April 17, 2013, an ammonium nitrate explosion occurred at the West Fertilizer Company storage and distribution facility in West, Texas, United States (18 miles (29 km) north of Waco), while emergency services personnel were responding to a fire there. Fifteen people were killed, over 160 injured, and more than 150 buildings damaged or destroyed. Investigators confirmed that ammonium nitrate was the material that exploded. On May 11, 2016, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stated that the fire was deliberately set. That finding has been disputed.