Construction Site Explosion in Gatesville Results in 1 Fatality and a Dozen Injured

One fatality was reported, and another dozen people were injured during an explosion at the Gatesville hospital, just west of Waco. The Coryell County emergency manager stated that construction workers were among the wounded and killed and that hospital staff and patients remained stable and clear.

A construction worker was killed in the incident which was reported at roughly 2:30 p.m on Tuesday, June 26. The 25-bed hospital suffered damages when an electric generator in an uncompleted portion of its expansion project exploded. At present, the hospital’s chief executive, Dave Byrom, has stated the explosion may have been triggered by a gas line, however, confirmation of that has yet to be made. In the process, it caused a part of the construction project to collapse.

Photo: Facebook/Lampasas County Breaking News and Information Via BJ Herring

According to reports, the injured were taken to trauma centers in Temple, Texas and those sustaining severe burns were airlifted to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. Of these, three to four were listed in critical condition. The hospital relocated its 12 existing patients due to damage from the explosion, and 120 residents of long-term care homes which make up the hospital campus. A Texas-New Mexico Power Company spokesman stated that the explosion caused a power outage over a large part of the city, however, the majority of this outage had been restored within a three-hour period.