Terrifying Photos of the Fertilizer Plant Blast, Rescue and a Town Reduced to Rubble

A Texas fertilizer plant exploded Wednesday night, leaving between five and 15 people dead and more than 160 injured, according to an early estimate by police. Rescue workers continue Thursday to sift through several square blocks of homes and businesses reduced to rubble in the blast.

The explosion at the West Fertilizer Co., in West, Texas, about 20 miles north of Waco, impacted a four-square-block radius, which included 50 to 75 homes, an apartment complex with about 50 units, a middle school and the West Rest Haven Nursing Home, from which first-responders evacuated 133 patients.

Here are photos from the blast, its aftermath and the rescue operation:

Read more about the explosion here.

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Related:

• Officials Still Unsure How Many Killed in Texas Explosion, Estimating Between 5 and 15 Killed and 160 Injured Yet Prepared for 'Dozens' of Deaths
• Disaster: EMS Director Says as Many as 70 People Feared Dead in Texas Fertilizer Plant Explosion (See the Terrifying Video)
• Report: Texas Fertilizer Plant Was Cited in 2006 for Permit Violation and Authorities Concerned About Possible Ammonia Leak

The Associated Press contributed to this report.