On January 24, 2020, a building at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing in northwest Houston, Texas, United States, exploded at 4:24 a.m.[1][2] Debris was scattered as far as one-half mile (0.8 km),[3] and approximately 200 nearby houses and businesses were damaged.[4] Officials asked local residents to search for debris and body parts to assist with an investigation into the explosion's cause.[5] An absence of zoning ordinances separating industrial areas from residences is known to prevail in the vicinity of the explosion.[1]
Two deaths were reported on the morning of the incident.[6] Both men were employees of Watson Grinding and Manufacturing.[5] A third man, whose home was impacted by debris from the explosion, died from his injuries on February 5.[7] Eighteen people "self reported" to emergency rooms for minor injuries.[8] Forty-eight people sought shelter from Red Cross,[9] and two schools in the vicinity were closed for the day.[10] Some homes near the facility were blasted off their foundations, and some had collapsed ceilings, shattered windows, and bent garage doors.[11]