The second major explosion of the week has occurred at a fertilizer plant in West, Texas, on Wednesday night, sending a massive fireball into the sky and causing dozens of injuries, officials told CNN.
Nearby residents were evacuated due to the possibility of another explosion, officials said.
A hospital in Waco, Texas, has been told to anticipate 100 injured people arriving from the fertilizer plant, said an official at the medical facility.
A field triage station was being set up on a football field near the plant about 18 miles north of Waco after the explosion, according to Glenn Robinson, the CEO of Hillcrest Hospital, who spoke to CNN.
"We have had a steady flow of patients coming in by ambulance as well as by private vehicles," Robinson told CNN's Anderson Cooper.
More than 60 patients had arrived by 10 p.m.
The patients were suffering from "blast injuries, orthopedic injuries and a lot of lacerations," Robinson said. "While some of the injuries are minor, others are quite serious."
Hazardous materials teams were being rushed to the scene, according to emergency management officials. At least six helicopters were in action, flying out the seriously injured. Others are being transported via ambulance, while others are getting to the hospital by car.
Two additional area hospitals are assisting.
Additonal danger became apparent as people hurried to help those that were injured.
"What we are hearing is that there is one fertilizer tank that is still intact at the plant, and there are evacuations in place to make sure everyone gets away from the area safely in case of another explosion," said Ben Stratmann, a spokesman for Texas State Senator Brian Birdwell.
Photos of the explosion showed a huge blaze and flames reaching over the roof of a structure and a plume of smoke rising high in the air. The West Fertilizer Plant is just west of Waco, where a school and a nursing home are near the plant.
Governor Rick Perry is aware of the explosion and is working to get resources in the area.
West, Texas is a small community of about 2,800 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It is located about 75 miles south of Dallas and 120 miles north of Austin.
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