Hotel restaurant employee says he reported smelling gas before devastating blast

An employee at Musume, a restaurant inside the Fort Worth hotel that exploded last week, says he reported smelling gas before the blast.

On the afternoon of Jan. 8, an explosion blew out the first two floors of the W.T. Waggoner Building at the corner of Houston and 8th streets in downtown Fort Worth. The explosion caused significant damage to the building and sent the two floors crashing down into the sub-basement. At least 21 people were treated for injuries after the blast, including one person critically injured and treated for burns at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. There were no fatalities.

Jose Mira told NBC 5 he's worked at Musume in Fort Worth for about six months. He said that on the day of the explosion he reported smelling "the strong odor of natural gas" when his shift started at about 2 p.m.

According to a lawsuit filed by Eric Marye of Marye Law Firm, “The gas was burning his eyeballs.”

Mira, who spoke to NBC 5 in Spanish, said he asked supervisors to do something about it however, he claimed nothing was done.

He remembered the moment of the explosion and seeing plates and debris fall.

“I threw myself in between an oven and a refrigerator,” Mira said.

He remembered the fire that burnt his arms, ears, and some of his hair. He also recalled hearing his coworker Maite Lopez nearby.

Mira said 30 minutes went by before he finally made it out however, he was not able to help Lopez. Lopez remains in the hospital.

Mira was one of the three employees from Musume who were transported to the hospital. He said days later, he still deals with hearing loss and mental anguish.

“It’s the trauma that one carries for the rest of their lives,” Mira said. “It follows me. At night I can’t sleep. I’m dreaming that there is fire all around me.”

Mira is suing his employers, the Sandman Signature Fort Worth Hotel, its management, and building owners along with Atmos Energy.

The lawsuit states Mira ”seeks only monetary relief over $1,000,000.”

On Thursday, a representative for Musume Fort Worth said its ownership “is working with its insurance company to ensure wages will continue for all 40-45 Musume-FW employees."

The restaurant also announced a fundraiser event slated for this month.

“Musume's Dallas location had already planned a 6-year anniversary event for that location on Thursday, Jan. 25; that event has now been reworked to serve as a fundraiser for all affected employees, and every dollar raised will go toward them,” the spokesperson said.

MIRA VS ATMOS, SANDMAN SIGNATURE HOTEL, MUSUME