An explosion at the Sandman Signature hotel in downtown Fort Worth, Texas has left at least 11 people injured, according to local CBS News.
Two people were critically injured, and one person’s condition was given as serious, CBS said. One man told CBS he had to jump out the window, as there were no stairs.
Pictures from the scene show windows blown out and there are reports of a possible floor collapse. WFAA reported that it was a suspected gas explosion, and one man said he smelled gas before the explosion.
Fort Worth police have advised people in the local area to stay away while emergency personnel assess the scene.
‘We are currently working a Major Incident. Please avoid the downtown area,’ police wrote on X.
‘PIOs are on scene. We will share more details as soon as we can confirm more information.’
Explosion at the Sandman Signature hotel in Fort Worth leaves ‘at least 10 injured’ and is declared a ‘major incident’ by city police
The streets around the hotel are seen strewn with debris
The hotel, in downtown Fort Worth, is seen before Monday’s explosion
LIVE: Fort Worth Fire Department responds to a gas explosion at the Sandman Hotel
Fort Worth fire department were on the scene, but there were no ambulances.
The debris was all across the road, with windows and door frames hurled to the other side of the street.
Families were told to go to Sundance Square, to 200 Fifth Street, to be reunited with their loved ones.
The 245-room hotel is in a 1920s building right in the heart of downtown Fort Worth, and rooms cost around $160 a night.
Craig Trojacek, the Public Information Officer for the fire department, said the first call was at 2:43pm.
‘It looks like some kind of gas leak,’ he said. ‘We are not sure of that. We don’t know if the gas is from the explosion, or caused the explosion.’
He confirmed 11 people had been injured.
Asked about a partial collapse of the building, he said he could not comment.
He said some reports suggested the explosion began in the restaurant, where there was some ‘work’ being done, he said.