11 injured and one missing after apparent explosion at Fort Worth Hotel

At least 11 people were injured and one person was missing after an apparent explosion that caused significant damage to a downtown Fort Worth hotel Monday afternoon, police said.

One person was in critical condition and two were in serious condition, Craig Trojacek, a spokesman for the Fort Worth Fire Department, said at a news conference. Eight others were slightly injured, he added.

It was unclear what caused the apparent explosion at the Sandman Signature hotel. Mr Trojacek said there was “a smell of gas in the area”, but it was unclear whether gas played a role.

Video and footage from the scene showed significant damage to the ground floor of the hotel and debris strewn across the street.

A spokeswoman for Atmos Energy, which supplies natural gas to North Texas, said the gas company is investigating the apparent explosion.

The Fort Worth Fire Department said a reunion area had been set up in a parking lot a few blocks from the hotel for people looking for loved ones.

The hotel is located in one of Fort Worth’s most historically significant buildings. The twenty-story W.T. Wagoner Building, built in 1920, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. The Register describes it as “a physical manifestation of the crucial role Fort Worth played in the national oil boom.”

The 245-room Sandman Signature hotel opened in the building on March 31, 2023.

This is a development story.

Mayor of Orlando reporting contributed.