Firefighters battle INFERNO after huge blast at Texas chemical plant
A HUGE blast at a chemical plant in Cresson, Texas has left two people injured and one missing as firefighters work to battle the huge inferno currently engulfing the site.
Firefighters arriving from multiple jurisdictions are working to extinguish the inferno which has engulfed the chemical plant in North Texas, USA.
Local authoritieses have so far confirmed that one person was severely burned and was taken to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas.
A second injured person, whose injuries were not as serious, was taken to Lake Granbury Medical Center.
A third person is unaccounted for.
Witnesses nearby the Tri-Chem Industries Plant, located in the Hood County town of Cresson, told American broadcaster NBC that they heard a "big kaboom" and several explosions at about 9.45am local time (2pm GMT).
NBC
NBC
Secondary explosions were seen at about 11.15am (4pm GMT) as the fire continued to burn through the building located along Texas Highway 171.
The area is currently closed to traffic, and the chemical plant and a nearby lumber yard have been evacuated.
Jesse Bailey, who was working nearby and witnessed the event, said: "Things were blowing out of the roof, like metal lids on buckets. Then, the fire."
Cresson mayor Bob Cornett said that seven fire departments were battling the fire, but firefighters had to pull back from the scene due to the risk of additional explosions.
Hazardous materials crews from the Fort Worth Fire Department were also dispatched to the fire.
Tri-Chem Industries offers commercial chemical blending services for customers in Texas, Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region, according to its website.
More to follow...