Video: 21 People Injured After Gas Explosion Ripped Through Sandman Signature Hotel in Texas

Texas - At least 21 people were left injured after an explosion ripped through a historic Texas hotel on Monday. According to CNN, the explosion occurred in Forth Worth, Texas and the authorities noted that people who were trapped in the basement during the incident were saved by the rescue crew. However, they maintained that one of the victims is currently in critical condition. Shortly after the incident, Fort Worth fire department spokesperson Craig Trojacek said that investigators are confident that the blast was “some kind of gas explosion,” The Guardian reported. 

“There is a smell of gas in the area and there are windows and things that were blown outside of the structure,” said Craig Trojacek, a spokesman for the Fort Worth fire department told local reporters. The hotel in question is the 20-story Sandman Signature Hotel which is located at the heart of downtown Fort Worth. As per the reports, the hotel was undergoing construction when the explosion took place. Trojacek told reporters that the investigators are working to determine what exactly caused the explosion at the hotel which is near both city hall and the city's convention center. Emergency responders had found one person who was initially unaccounted for. 

A secondary search is underway 

According to CNN, a secondary search of the hotel was conducted as of 6 PM (local time). The authorities stated that a total of 26 rooms had guests in them. “Emergency responders are on site and we are working closely with the authorities to understand the origin of the event and the extent of the harm caused,” the Fort Worth police department said in a statement.  “The safety and well-being of our team members and guests is our priority. We are working with those who have been injured to fully support them at this time," the statement further reads. Three employees of the Musume restaurant in the Sandman Hotel were injured in the explosion. The restaurant released a statement on the matter and stated that the employees are currently being treated in the hospital. 

“All of us at Musume are devastated by the tragic explosion that took place this afternoon at the Sandman Signature Hotel, which is the home of our restaurant,” Co-founder of Musume Josh Babb said in a statement on Facebook. “Luckily, Musume was closed during the time of the explosion, so we had no customers dining and limited employees working. Three (3) Musume employees were injured, but are being treated in the hospital and in stable condition. We will be sure to send updates and be transparent as more information comes in,” the statement further reads.