Fort Worth hotel explosion: Gov. Abbott, Sen. Cruz, Mayor Parker send prayers for injured

Witnesses describe Fort Worth hotel explosion

A man who was staying at the hotel that exploded and a couple who lived nearby recall feeling the explosion that rocked the Sandman Hotel Monday afternoon.

Elected officials took to social media on Monday after an explosion at a Texas hotel injured at least 21 people and littered the streets with debris.

Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday, saying her "heart and prayers" were with those who were injured.

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz praised first responders and said he and his wife were praying for "a swift recovery,"

Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare, also posted his condolences to the victims and first responders on X Monday afternoon.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued a statement saying that his office is in close contact with the mayor and other local law enforcement and first responders to assist with the "emergency response efforts."

"The State of Texas is in close contact with Mayor Parker, Sheriff Waybourn, and other local partners and first responders in Fort Worth to assist with emergency response efforts following the tragic explosion at the Sandman Hotel. We continue to monitor the situation and stand ready to immediately deploy any additional personnel and resources needed to keep Texans in the area safe and out of harm’s way. Cecilia and I ask all Texans to pray for those who were injured in the explosion, as well as those bravely responding to keep others safe," the statement read.

The explosion at the Sandman Signature hotel in downtown Fort Worth was believed to be caused by a natural gas explosion, according to investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The blast left four people with serious injuries and the others taken to hospitals had minor wounds, officials said at a news conference.

The Sandman Signature hotel is in a busy area of downtown about one block from the Fort Worth Convention Center. Footage from news helicopters showed firefighters picking their way through the piles of drywall, shattered glass and mangled metal that coated the street outside the hotel. Authorities urged people to avoid the area.

"There is a smell of gas in the area and there are windows and things that were blown outside of the structure," said Craig Trojacek, a spokesman for the Fort Worth Fire Department.

Medics also treated four more people on the scene but did not take them to a hospital, said Desiree Partain of MedStar, which provides ambulance and emergency medical services in Fort Worth.

Technicians from Atmos Energy, a Dallas-based natural gas distributor, were examining the blast site Monday. A spokesperson for the Railroad Commission of Texas, the state's oil and gas regulator, said an agency inspector was also on the scene and working with local authorities.

According to the hotel website, the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Downtown Hotel has 245 rooms and was built in 1920 as the "Waggoner Building," named after cattle rancher and oilman William Thomas Waggoner. The building has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1979.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.