As we all know, much more than homes and property was lost in the explosion in West, Texas earlier this week.The community is now beginning to learn the extent of those losses.
Please refrain from snarky comments about Texas, rants about uncaring business owners, or jibes about Republican politicians who are all for federal aid except when they are against it. Plenty of other diaries for that.
Below the fold, the short but growing list of the human toll.
12 bodies have been found so far. In addition, earlier today a list of 60 persons unaccounted for had been compiled. At that time they were beginning to match that list against the names of the injured who were in one of several hospitals around the region.
“It is with a heavy heart that I can confirm that 12 individuals have been recovered from the fertilizer plant explosion,” said DPS Sgt. Jason Reyes.
The bodies have been sent to a Dallas forensic lab, he said.
11:35 AM Among the firefighters who died in the West Fertilizer Co. explosion Wednesday night were Buck Uptmor of West Volunteer Fire Department and Cyrus Reed and Jerry Chapman of Abbott Volunteer Fire Department
12:10 PM Perry Calvin, a member of the Navarro Mills Volunteer Fire Department and the son of its chief, is among the victims of the Wednesday night explosion at West Fertilizer Co., family members confirmed.
12:55 p.m.: Immediate family members’ Facebook pages have confirmed the death of Jimmy Matus, 52, in the Wednesday night explosion of the West Fertilizer Co. plant. He is owner of Westex Welding
2:45 p.m.: West City Secretary Joey Pustejovsky and Cody Dragoo, an employee of West Fertilizer Co., are presumed dead by friends and family members. [Both were also volunteer fire fighters for the community]
More details on each individual and their families at the source link
I will update as more names are released
2:18 PM PT: 3:53 PM
Morris Bridges and Kenny Harris are among the firefighters killed in Wednesday’s explosion.
(Harris was a fire captain for Dallas, but lived in West so stepped in to assist in an unofficial capacity)
3:06 PM PT:
Department of Public Safety Sgt. Jason Reyes confirmed two more fatalities in West, bringing the official total to 14. He did not take any questions after his statement.