An explosion at South Fork Dairy in Dimmit, Texas has killed “at least 18,000 cattle,” according to KOLD 13News. The explosion took place on Monday (April 10) and the smoke from the explosion, could be seen for miles.
🚨#BREAKING: Multiple agencies are on scene to a massive dairy farm explosion that took place this evening
📌#Dimmitt | #Texas ⁰
Currently multiple agencies and emergency crews are on scene and have confirmed with a multiple casualty incident at South Fork Dairy in Castro… pic.twitter.com/DyZyb9BiBA— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) April 11, 2023
The explosion then, of course, turned into a fire, which spread to a building where cattle was being held. Castro County Sheriff’s Office revealed that one person was trapped inside the building with the cattle. Crews were able to find him and rescue him.
According to KTSM, “One person was airlifted to a Lubbock hospital, said Rivera, and was last reported to be in critical condition.”
The cause of the explosion is currently under investigation by the Texas State Fire Marshal’s Office, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, among other organizations.
Castro County Sheriff Sal Rivera says that “machinery malfunction” may have caused the explosion.
As of 10:28am on Tuesday (April 11), the fire was completely contained. According to KENS 5 San Antonio, “The fire is the most devastating cattle loss in a fire since losses began getting tracked in 2013.”
See a few videos taken at the scene below.