One person is dead and 12 others were injured after an explosion and partial collapse at the Coryell Memorial Healthcare System hospital in Gatesville, according to the Coryell County Commissioners Court.
All who have been reported injured are construction workers.
The Gatesville Police Department received a report about the explosion around 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
At least a dozen ambulances and EMS vehicles are on the scene at this time. Temple Fire and Rescue has sent a combination of their Haz-Mat Rescue Unit and one of their assistant chiefs. Fort Hood has sent one paramedic unit and ten personnel to assist. Crews as far down from Austin are also at the scene. Flower Mound, Ellis County and Llano are also assisting. Area hospitals have opened their doors to treat any patients from the Coryell Memorial Healthcare System hospital.
The area of U.S.Highway 84 near the hospital has been blocked off from traffic. People have been transported by multiple EMS agencies – including from Killeen and Temple. State troopers are currently on the scene, as well as firefighters and construction workers.
According to the Texas-New Mexico Power Company (TNMP), this incident knocked out power to about 900 surrounding homes and businesses. The company cannot start working on restoring power until the area is safe and they are allowed in. The current estimated time for power to be restored is around 6:00 p.m.
Gatesville resident Richard DeYoung lives about five minutes away from the hospital, and says he heard a very loud explosion which managed to shake his windows and doors.
Baylor Scott and White Health has released a statement saying the Hillcrest Hospital has activated their emergency operations centers, and is preparing to receive and treat victims of the incident at the Coryell Memorial Healthcare System hospital.
Both hospitals remain open and are operating while the emergency department teams are making preparations to evaluate and treat arriving victims. All elective surgeries and procedures are continuing as planned.
At this time, BSW does not have information about how many victims might be brought to their hospitals.
Meanwhile, the Coryell Community Church is housing patients from the Oaks Nursing Home.
(Information from CenTexProud.com)
