Twelve people were confirmed dead Friday as rescue teams continued searching for survivors in the charred and destroyed homes of a small Texas town following a explosion at a fertilizer plant. Mayor Tommy Muska said 10 of the dead were first responders who had rushed to extinguish a large fire at the plant in the town of West, Texas, and were caught in the massive blast. The explosion late Wednesday that sent shock waves in a radius of 80 kilometres also claimed the lives of two residents of nearby homes. The search underway is being conducted slowly and methodically in the hope of finding anyone trapped in the homes and businesses in the town with a population of about 2,400. -- SPA 19:28 LOCAL TIME 16:28 GMT تغريد
