As crews continue to clean up debris from an explosion in downtown Fort Worth on Monday, investigators are trying to confirm what caused the blast that injured 21 people.
A spokesperson for the Fort Worth Fire Department said Wednesday they have closed the "incident," meaning winding down on-site operations at the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel and taking their evidence back to the station.
An explosion at the hotel on Monday afternoon blew shattered glass and part of the facade of the nearly 104-year-old 20-story tower onto 8th and Houston streets while dropping two floors of the hotel into the subbasement.
Now, investigators are going over all of that documentation, including footage from nearby affected businesses, to try to determine the cause of the explosion.
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“We do not know if gas caused the explosion or the explosion caused the gas," Fort Worth Fire Chief Jim Davis said on Tuesday.
That's the big question they're still trying to answer.
Davis said they've also been working with other city departments, like development services and environmental services, to determine a timeline for cleanup, and other next steps.
“There’s already a plan involved in how to assist the building owner in securing the building," Davis had said on Tuesday.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) was also called to the scene. In an email to NBC 5, the NTSB said their investigators are on-site to monitor the Railroad Commission (RRC) of Texas' investigation, "but it has not yet been determined that the event falls within our jurisdiction."
If the agency launches its own investigation into the explosion, the NTSB spokesperson said they'd announce it on their channel on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
The RRC had told NBC 5 on Tuesday they were monitoring Atmos Energy to make sure the gas company follows procedure when it comes to explosion investigations.
Meanwhile, the Consulate General of Mexico in Dallas is also asking questions, trying to figure out how many Mexican nationals were affected by the hotel blast.
“If [a] Mexican national was affected by this incident, please give a call to the emergency phone line," said Eloy Monge. "We don’t ask for immigration status, so if they need something from us, please let us know.”
Monge said they will review each case to see how they can help.
“If they lost their documents or passport during this event let us know, we can issue a new ID. [If] they need consulate assistance contacting family in Mexico, or they want to go back to Mexico," he explained.
The consulate's phone number is 214-932-8670.
