Mayor says 35 dead in Texas explosion
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Washington - At least 35 people were killed in the explosiont the Texas fertilizer plant, the Mayor of the town of West, Tommy Musaka, told USA Today in an interview late Thursday.
The Texas Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst would not confirm the death toll in an interview with CNN, saying the search was still in a "rescue" mode but could be in a "recovery" mode by Friday.
Earlier in the day, officials estimated the death toll at five to 15, based partly on the number of fire fighters who responded to afire at the fertilizer plant before the explosion occurred.
The blast wave extended in a radius of 80 kilometres and injured more than 160 people. The smoking scene of disaster glowed hot through the day as rescue workers combed through the wreckage.//DPA
