‘Deadliest barn fire’ in Texas history kills 18,000 cattle

‘Deadliest barn fire’ in Texas history kills 18,000 cattle

Fast News

Explosion and hearth rips by way of Southfork Dairy Farms close to Dimmitt city in Texas Panhandle, killing hundreds of livestock, officers say.

This image obtained from the Facebook page of Castro County Sheriff's Office shows a plume of smoke rising from the Southfork Dairy Farms.
This picture obtained from the Facebook web page of Castro County Sheriff’s Office exhibits a plume of smoke rising from the Southfork Dairy Farms.
(AFP Archive)

A “horrific” explosion and hearth at a dairy farm within the southern US state of Texas has killed about 18,000 head of cattle and wounded one agricultural employee, authorities mentioned.

“This was the deadliest barn fire for cattle in Texas history and the investigation and cleanup may take some time,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller mentioned in a press release on Thursday.

The explosion and hearth ripped by way of the Southfork Dairy Farms close to the city of Dimmitt within the Texas Panhandle on Monday evening.

Firefighters and police rushed to the scene and “determined that one person was trapped inside,” the Castro County Sheriff’s Office mentioned on Facebook. The particular person was rescued and flown to a hospital in Lubbock, it mentioned.

The reason behind the explosion and hearth weren’t instantly clear, mentioned Miller, who described it as a “horrific event.”

“Once we know the cause and the facts surrounding this tragedy, we will make sure the public is fully informed — so tragedies like this can be avoided in the future,” he mentioned.

Castro County Sheriff Sal Rivera advised the CBS affiliate in Amarillo {that a} system to take away manure from the barns could have gotten “overheated.”

He mentioned methane could have “ignited and then spread out with the explosion and the fire,” including {that a} probe must decide the exact trigger.

“Farms must do more to protect animals by adopting commonsense fire safety measures,” tweeted the Animal Welfare Institute, one of many oldest animal welfare charities within the United States, referring to the Texas tragedy.

Source: AFP

Source: www.trtworld.com