This picture from the Fb web page of Castro County Sheriff’s Workplace exhibits smoke rising from the Southfork Dairy Farms after an explosion and fireplace occurred
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A “horrific” explosion and fireplace at a dairy farm within the southern US state of Texas killed about 18,000 head of cattle and injured one agricultural employee, authorities mentioned on Thursday.
“This was the deadliest barn fireplace for cattle in Texas historical past and the investigation and cleanup might take a while,” Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller mentioned in an announcement.
The explosion and fireplace ripped via the Southfork Dairy Farms close to the city of Dimmitt within the Texas Panhandle on Monday night time.
Firefighters and police rushed to the scene and “decided that one individual was trapped inside,” the Castro County Sheriff’s Workplace mentioned on Fb. The individual was rescued and flown to a hospital in Lubbock, it mentioned.
The reason for the explosion and fireplace weren’t instantly clear, mentioned Miller, who described it as a “horrific occasion.”
“As soon as we all know the trigger and the details surrounding this tragedy, we’ll be certain that the general public is totally knowledgeable — so tragedies like this may be averted sooner or later,” he mentioned.
Castro County Sheriff Sal Rivera instructed the CBS affiliate in Amarillo {that a} system to take away manure from the barns might have gotten “overheated.”
He mentioned methane might have “ignited after which unfold out with the explosion and the hearth,” including {that a} probe must decide the exact trigger.
“Farms should do extra to guard animals by adopting commonsense fireplace security measures,” tweeted the Animal Welfare Institute, one of many oldest animal welfare charities in america, referring to the Texas tragedy.