Residential houses ablaze, women and children crying, people running in panic, struggling through thick smoke blanketing the town. Taken by an accidental witness, a horrifying video reveals the chaos caused by the catastrophe in West, Texas.

Local resident Paul Lannuier was driving with a companion when they suddenly became witnesses to the devastation as many surrounding homes and buildings were destroyed in the blast at the West Fertilizer plant.

"Oh my God, Andrea lives in those apartments!” says the woman suddenly in the background as the car approaches the smoke and fire.

screenshot from youtube video by user Paul Lannuier

Many people were feared trapped in buildings. In the video, the town is engulfed by fumes of toxic smoke, while residents try to reach through it to find out about their friends and relatives.

“Let’s see if anybody needs help,” the man who’s filming says, jumping out of the car and going towards a group of people gathered on the road.

Debris and shattered windows are seen thrown all across the neighborhood. A row of residential houses is partially or completely destroyed.

As they park his car to observe the ruined community, he films children and women crying in despair as they stand watching the pluming smoke and flames in the distance. As he starts asking them, it becomes clear people just did not know what happened.

First guesses are that a plane crashed into the community.

“Everything blew up,” one of the witnesses tells him. “I thought something fell on my house!” one of the locals tells the man through tears.

West, Texas, is some 30km north of the town of Waco, and about 50km north of the small community of Crawford, where former President George W. Bush owns a ranch.

screenshot from youtube video by user Paul Lannuier

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