Boston Bombings: Emotional Silent Tribute

Boston has held a minute's silence to remember the victims of the marathon bombings, after hundreds of people packed a church for the funeral of Krystle Campbell.

Later in the day, a memorial service was held at Boston University for another victim, Lu Lingzi, a graduate student from China.

Ms Campbell, 29, died with Ms Lu, 23, and Martin Richard, eight, last Monday when the devices exploded near the finish line of the race in the heart of the city.

Ms Campbell, a restaurant manager, died in Monday's blasts

People across the city had been asked to take part in the silent tribute at 7.50pm local time - exactly a week after the first of the deadly blasts went off.

At one spot near the scene of the attacks, hundreds lowered their heads and many prayed.

Hundreds of Ms Campbell's friends and family paid their respects earlier at St Joseph's Church, in her home town of Medford, north of Boston.

Dozens had to be turned away from the church and stood outside because the venue was full.

One mourner, Marishi Charles, said Ms Campbell's parents were too distraught to talk, so pastor Chip Hines spoke for them during the service, saying: "Krystle was always there for people."

Hundreds of people lined the streets to honour Ms Campbell

At a wake on Sunday, well-wishers waited in a line lasting up to an hour to view photographs from throughout the young restaurant manager's life.

In the confused aftermath of the attacks, Ms Campbell's parents had been mistakenly told that their daughter - who had gone to watch a friend finish the race - was one of those being treated by medics. They later learned she was in fact among the dead.

Her mother, Patty, paid an emotional tribute last week, saying: "She was a wonderful person and everyone who knew her loved her.

"She was always smiling and was such a hard-worker in everything she did. This just doesn't make any sense."

Later in the day, Ms Lu's memorial service was held at Boston University where she was described as a sweet-hearted woman who was passionate about piano, her studies and loving life.

Ms Lu was remembered for her love of life

Hundreds of people including Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick attended the service hosted by the university on Monday.

Ms Lu, from Shenyang in northeast China, studied statistics at the university. Friends and faculty say she was an exceptional student with a bubbly personality.

Boston University has launched a scholarship fund in Ms Lu's name.

More than 180 others were hurt in the attacks, at least 14 of whom lost all or part of a limb. Doctors have said all of those injured now appear likely to survive.

There are 51 people in hospital, with three in a critical condition - including a police officer who nearly bled to death in a shoot-out with the suspects.

Sky's Mike McCarthy, close to the scene of the blasts in Boston, reports messages of support and floral tributes have been left by visitors from all over the world.

Martin Richard was the youngest to die in the bombing

Law enforcement officials say two brothers, Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev - ethnic Chechens from Russia - planted the devices among spectators at the race before they were tracked down later in the week.

After Tamerlan, 26, was killed in the gunfight in the early hours of Friday, 19-year-old Dzhokhar escaped, triggering a manhunt that brought Boston grinding to a halt.

It ended with the teenager's capture in a boat parked next to a house. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the neck.

The motive for the bombings remains unclear but Tsarnaev, who is unable to talk because of the throat injury, has been able to write responses to questions from his hospital bed and has now been charged over the attacks.

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Boston Bomb Suspect Charged In Hospital Bed

The surviving Boston marathon bomb suspect has been charged with conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction - as he and his brother are accused of bragging about the attacks to a car-jacking victim.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev and his dead brother Tamerlan said to the motorist they abducted while on the run: "Did you hear about the Boston explosion" and "I did that", court papers revealed.

The allegations emerged after Dzhokhar, 19, was charged over the deadly attacks while in his hospital bed.

He remains in a serious condition after being detained on Friday.

He will also face a charge of malicious destruction of property resulting in death, the Justice Department said. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

Dzhokhar leaves the boat he was hiding in

Court papers also revealed Dzhokhar had apparent gunshot wounds to his head, neck, legs and hand when he was arrested at the end of a major manhunt, hours after escaping police in a shoot-out that left his 26-year-old brother dead.

Dzhokhar is being treated at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, where some of those wounded in the blasts are also being treated.

Earlier reports said he was unable to speak because of an injury to his throat, but that he was able to respond to questions from investigators by writing down the answers.

Three people died and more than 180 others were injured in the twin blasts at the marathon, the worst bombing to take place in the US since 9/11.

Family photos have emerged showing Tamerlan here with his parents and uncle Tamerlan is seen here with little brother Dzhokhar and their sisters

After Tamerlan was killed early on Friday, Dzhokhar escaped, triggering an hours-long manhunt that shut down Boston.

It ended with the teenager's capture in a boat parked in a back yard late on Friday night.

It has also emerged police chiefs believe the Tsarnaev brothers were planning further attacks.

Commissioner Ed Davis said officers found a large stockpile of weapons and more than 250 rounds of ammunition at the scene of the earlier gun battle.

"They had IEDs," he said, referring to improvised explosives devices. "They had homemade hand grenades that they were throwing at the officers.

A forensics team examines the boat on Monday

"The scene was loaded with unexploded improvised explosive devices that actually we had to point out to the arriving officers and clear the area."

He said one IED was found in the car-jacked Mercedes the brothers had abandoned. Court papers also revealed a "large pyrotechnic" and white cap matching surveillance footage near the scene of the attacks were found in Dzhokhar's dormitory room.

Meanwhile, a lawyer for Tamerlan's wife, Katherine Russell Tsarnaev, has said US authorities have also asked to speak with his client.

Amato DeLuca said Mrs Russell Tsarnaev did not suspect her husband of anything, and nothing seemed amiss after the explosions.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev died in a gunfight - his wife apparently knew nothing

The Tsarnaevs were ethnic Chechens who had been living in the US for a decade.

Dzhokhar became a US citizen in 2012, while his older brother's application was reportedly held up.

Tamerlan began posting militant videos on social media sites in recent years, and travelled to Dagestan, which borders Chechnya, in 2012. Both Russian regions host separatist rebel groups.

The brothers' social media pages appeared to express sympathy with the struggle in Chechnya, which has been ravaged by two wars since 1994 between Russia and increasingly Islamist-leaning separatist rebels.

Three people were killed in the twin bombings

The White House has said that as a naturalised US citizen, Tsarnaev will not be treated as an "enemy combatant", which would have involved a military tribunal. Instead he will be prosecuted through the criminal court system and is expected to appear in court on May 30.

Many in Boston have observed a moment of silence exactly a week after the first of two bombs went off near the marathon finish line.

A private funeral has been held for Krystle Campbell, a 29-year-old restaurant worker who was among the dead, on Monday.

Later in the day, a memorial service was held at Boston University for another victim, Lu Lingzi, 23, a graduate student from China.

The youngest person to die was eight-year-old Martin Richard, while police officer Sean Collier was killed during a confrontation with the suspects in the early hours of Friday.

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Injuries As French Embassy Attacked In Libya

The French embassy in Libya has been damaged after a car bomb attack in the capital of Tripoli.

Officials have confirmed that two security guards were injured in the attack.

"There was an attack on the embassy. We think it was a booby-trapped car," a Libyan official said.

"There was a lot of damage and there are two guards wounded."

The blast destroyed a security wall and severely damaged the building when the blast occurred at about 7am local time.

Damaged cars and buildings opposite the French embassy

The French mission is located in a two-storey villa in the uptown Gargaresh area of Tripoli.

Journalist William Crisp, at the scene, told Sky News: "The engine block of the car landed quite a way from the embassy so it was quite a strong blast.

"The attack was in a sleepy, wealthy part of town. It was a middle-class neighbourhood."

The motive for the attack, the first assault launched on an embassy in the Libyan capital, was not immediately clear.

Smoke lingered in the area after the car bombing

A French source confirmed an attack against the embassy and said one guard was seriously wounded and another lightly hurt.

Buildings opposite the embassy were also damaged in the attack and two cars parked near the embassy were destroyed.

Libyan foreign minister Mohammed Abdel Aziz condemned the attack on the embassy, calling it a "terrorist act".

"We strongly condemn this act, which we regard as a terrorist act against a brother nation that supported Libya during the revolution" of 2011 that ousted the regime of Moamer Kadhafi, Abdel Aziz told AFP at the scene of the blast.

Sky News Foreign Editor Tim Marshall said: "It is another indication of how things are not doing well in Libya.

"The French would be a target, along with Britain, as they spearheaded regime change from the Gaddafi-era."

Two years after the country's civil war, Libya has struggled to maintain security, build a unified army and reign in its militias.

On the anniversary of the September 11 US attacks last year, armed men launched an assault on the US consulate in Benghazi, killing four US citizens including the ambassador to Libya.

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Boston Bombs Suspect 'Awake And Responding'

The surviving Boston marathon bomb suspect is beginning to respond to questions from investigators, reports say.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev remains in a critical but stable condition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre, where some of the 180 people wounded in the blasts are also being treated.

The 19-year-old is said to have a wound to his throat - reportedly caused by a gunshot through his mouth that exited the back of his neck - which prevents him from speaking.

Tamerlan died in a gunfight

But major US news networks say he is responding to questions in writing.

He is under armed guard in hospital and federal prosecutors are preparing to file criminal charges against him.

Dzhokhar is also reported to have been shot in the leg during a shootout with law enforcement the night before his arrest.

His older brother and fellow suspect Tamerlan, 26, died in that gunfight.

A lawyer for Tamerlan's wife, Katherine Russell Tsarnaev, said US authorities have also asked to speak with his client.

Amato DeLuca said Mrs Russell Tsarnaev did not suspect her husband of anything, and nothing seemed amiss after the bombings.

He said she had been working 70 to 80 hours a week as a home health care aide while her husband cared for their daughter.

Mr DeLuca said on the day he died, Tamerlan was home when his wife left for work.

She found out he was a suspect when she heard about it on TV, he added.

After Tamerlan was killed early on Friday, Dzhokhar escaped, triggering an hours-long manhunt that shut down Boston.

Dzhokhar leaves the boat he was hiding in

It ended with the teenager's capture in a boat parked in a backyard late on Friday night.

It has also emerged police chiefs believe the Tsarnaev brothers were planning further attacks.

Commissioner Ed Davis said officers found a large stockpile of weapons and more than 250 rounds of ammunition at the scene of the earlier gun battle.

"They had IEDS," he said, referring to improvised explosives devices. "They had homemade hand grenades that they were throwing at the officers.

"The scene was loaded with unexploded improvised explosive devices that actually we had to point out to the arriving officers and clear the area."

There was a big manhunt for Dzhokhar who escaped after the first gun battle

He said one IED was found in a Mercedes the brothers had abandoned. "This was as dangerous as it gets in urban policing," Commissioner Davis said.

The city's residents have been asked to observe a moment of silence at 2:50pm today, exactly a week after the first of two bombs went off within seconds of each other near the marathon finish line.

Mr Davis said federal authorities were trying to track down how and where the two suspects obtained the firearms and explosive devices.

Three people were killed in the twin bombings

The two were ethnic Chechens who had been living in the United States for a decade.

Dzhokhar became a US citizen in 2012, while his older brother's application was reportedly held up.

Tamerlan began posting militant videos on social media sites in recent years, and travelled to Dagestan, which borders Chechnya, in 2012. Both Russian regions host separatist rebel groups.

The brothers' social media pages appeared to express sympathy with the struggle in Chechnya, which has been ravaged by two wars since 1994 between Russia and increasingly Islamist-leaning separatist rebels.

Three people died and more than 180 others were injured in the twin blasts at the marathon, the worst bombing to take place in the US since 9/11.

The Boston Red Sox, Major League Baseball and several affiliated organisations have contributed more than £400,000 to One Fund Boston, established to help people most affected by the blasts last Monday.

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Dutch Schools Closed After Shooting Threat

Schools in the Dutch university city of Leiden have been closed after police said they had received a "serious threat" of a shooting.

In a statement, police said they did not know who had made the threat, which was posted on a website, or which school had been targeted.

The statement added: "Police have received mention about a possible school shooting (being planned) in Leiden.

"In light of this serious threat, it has been decided not to take any risk and therefore all middle schools will remain closed on Monday."

Pupils and their parents have been warned to stay at home and an investigation is underway, police said.

Middle schools in the Netherlands cover the 12 to 16 age group and in Leiden there are at least 22 - some of them international.

The city, which is home to the country's oldest university, lies just northeast of The Hague.

In April 2011, a man armed with a semi-automatic rifle killed six people and injured at least 10 others when he opened fire on shoppers in a shopping centre in the nearby town of Alphen aan de Rijn.

The gunman, 24-year-old  Tristan van der Vlis, then killed himself.

In 1999, four students and a teacher were injured when a student fired 10 shots in a computer room at a school in the southern town of Veghel.

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Five Killed In Washington State Shooting

Five people have been killed in a shooting at an apartment complex south of Seattle, including a suspect who was shot by officers.

Police say officers responded to a 9:30pm emergency call at an apartment complex in Federal Way of shots being fired.

In addition to the possible suspect, the victims also include three other men and one woman.

There was no immediate word what set off the gunfire.

More follows...

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China: Sichuan Earthquake Kills At Least 179

By Mark Stone, China correspondent

At least 179 people are believed to have been killed and more than 6,700 injured after an earthquake struck China's province of Sichuan.

Chinese news agency Xinhua said the quake, measured at varying magnitudes between 6.6 and 7.0, struck at 8.02am local time close to the city of Ya'an in Lushan county and the epicentre had a depth of a little less than eight miles (13km).

It started landslides, destroyed buildings, and triggered a major rescue operation involving emergency services and more than 2,000 troops.

Residents take shelter in a public square in Chengdu

The rescue effort is understood to have been hampered by aftershocks and landslides. Some of the tremors which followed the main quake have been almost as strong.

According to local media reports, a vehicle carrying 17 soldiers fell off a cliff and into a river as it travelled to the epicentre. One soldier was killed and seven more injured, three seriously.

But extraordinary stories of survival are already emerging. According to one local media report, a mother managed to lift concrete weighing 50kg to rescue her son from the rubble.

Another report described how a woman gave birth at a bike shelter just a few hours after the quake hit. 

According to the People's Daily newspaper, fire-fighters dug out a mother holding her baby in her arms from the rubble. She survived, but her baby sadly died.

Tremors have been felt in neighbouring provinces and in the provincial capital city of Chengdu. Users of Weibo, China's microblogging service, have posted images of damaged buildings and described scenes of panic as residents rushed outside.

Lushan was hit just after 8am local time

A resident in Chengdu said he was on the 13th floor of a building when he felt the quake. The building shook for about 20 seconds and he saw tiles fall from nearby buildings.

Local seismologists registered the quake at magnitude 7.0 while the US Geological Survey (USGS) put it at 6.6.

The USGS said "significant" casualties were likely and "extensive damage is probable and disaster is likely widespread".

"Past events with this alert level have required a national or international-level response," it added.

Collapsed houses on a road leading from Ya'an city to Luzhou county

A Chinese General, flying over one area in a helicopter, told local media that as many as 50 percent of buildings in one area had collapsed.

China's new Premiere Li Keqiang is flying to the region to survey the damage. The quake is the first big test for the new Chinese leadership. Their ability to respond to it is likely to be scrutinised on an ever growing social media forum.

The epicentre is close to the location of the 2008 earthquake which killed 68,000 people. That quake had a greater magnitude of 7.9 but its epicentre was further underground.

Rescuers try to remove rocks blocking a road in Lushan county

The 2008 disaster destroyed large swathes of the province along with areas of neighbouring Shaanxi and Gansu. The government faced significant criticism for allowing badly constructed buildings to be erected and for covering up their failings.

International offers of assistance have already been received.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague sent the condolences of the nation.

An aerial view of damaged houses Lushan county

Mr Hague said: "Today's events will no doubt bring back terrible memories of the catastrophic earthquake in the same province in 2008.

"My thoughts are also with the Chinese authorities and the emergency services as they continue their rescue efforts. We are in contact with local authorities through our Consulate-General in Chongqing and will continue to follow the situation closely." 

The Russian President Vladimir Putin sent China's President Xi Jinping a telegram expressing his condolences and offering help.

Twin tremors in neighbouring Yunnan province last September triggered landslides that left at least 80 people dead.

A 5.5 magnitude quake in Yunnan last June killed four people and injured more than 100.

Another 5.4 tremor the year before near the border with Burma left 25 people dead and injured 250.

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Boston Bombing: Suspect Still Unable To Speak

Boston Marathon Blasts: Timeline

Updated: 11:14am UK, Saturday 20 April 2013

Here is a timeline of events from the Boston Marathon bombings to the death of one of the suspects and another one being taken into custody.

Monday, April 15 (Times are local)

2.50pm: An explosion takes place near the finish line of the Boston Marathon.

Around 10 seconds later, there is another blast about 100m further back down the same road, Boylston Street, also on the marathon route.

The explosions occurred four hours into the race and two hours after the men's winner had crossed the line, but thousands of runners were still on the course.

2.57pm: The Boston Globe's Twitter feed reports a witness hearing "two loud booms" near the finish line.

4.02pm: Two people have died and 23 injured in the explosions, Boston Police confirms via Twitter.

6.12pm: President Barack Obama addresses the nation, saying: "The American people will say a prayer for Boston tonight."

8.49pm: At a news conference, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick announces the FBI has taken over the investigation.

It is confirmed three people died as a result of the bombings and at least 100 others were hurt. The injury toll was later put at over 180.

Tuesday, April 16

Two victims of the blasts were identified as Martin Richard, eight, and 29-year-old Krystle Campbell.

Martin was waiting with his family to give his father a hug at the finish line when he died.

Restaurant manager Ms Campbell had gone with her best friend to take a picture of the friend's boyfriend crossing the finish when the bombs went off.

Wednesday, April 17

The third victim is identified as 23-year-old Chinese graduate student Lingzi Lu.

Boston University confirmed Ms Lu was studying mathematics and statistics there and was due to receive her degree in 2015.

It said she and two friends had been watching the marathon near the finish line. One of the friends, also a Boston University student, was injured while the other was unharmed, it added.

There are reports a suspect has been detained in connection with the explosions and is due to appear in court - but authorities said there had been no arrests.

The federal court in the city is evacuated due to a bomb scare but people are later allowed to return.

Thursday, April 18

Afternoon: Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama attend an interfaith service at a Roman Catholic cathedral in Boston to remember the bombing victims. The president vows the attackers will face justice.

Evening: The FBI releases photos and video footage of two bombings suspects at the scene before the attacks.

One is pictured wearing a black baseball cap and a second had a white baseball cap on back to front.

Police say the suspects tried to rob a supermarket in Cambridge, across the river from Boston, on Thursday evening.  

10.20pm: Officers receive reports of shots fired on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) campus in Cambridge.

10.30pm: A police officer at MIT is found with gunshot wounds in his vehicle after being shot several times. He died in hospital.

The bomb suspects are suspected of carrying out the shooting.

They are then thought to have stolen a Mercedes car at gunpoint and later release its driver unharmed.

Friday, April 19

1am: Witnesses in Watertown near Boston report hearing multiple gunshots and explosions. The suspects reportedly threw explosives from the vehicle as police followed it into the area.

The suspects and police exchange gunfire, during which an officer is hurt.

Police say one of the two suspects in the MIT officer shooting, Tamerlan Tsarnaev, is dead. But his younger brother, Dzhokhar, remains at large. The pair are suspected of carrying out the bombings.

An extensive manhunt takes place in the Watertown area for Dzhokhar, who is said to be armed and dangerous.

Almost a million residents in Boston are warned to stay indoors and public transport is stopped as armed police search for Dzhokhar.

The two suspects are said to be from a Russian region near Chechnya and have lived in the US for at least one year.

6.60pm: Massachusetts Governor Patrick Deval announces the "stay indoors" order is being lifted, even though Dzhokhar remains in hiding.

Around the time the order is lifted, a flurry of gunfire breaks out in the community that is being searched. Law enforcement officials locate Dzhokhar in a boat parked behind a home.

8.45pm: Dzhokhar is taken into custody by police.

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Syria: US Offers Rebels $123m Non-Lethal Aid

The United States is providing Syrian rebels with $123m (£80m) in new non-lethal aid that may include body armour and other supplies.

The money will double the amount of non-lethal assistance to the Syrian opposition, as well as increase humanitarian aid.

The aid could include armoured vehicles, night vision goggles and advanced communications equipment.

Foreign ministers from the main supporters of the rebels trying to topple the Syrian government have been meeting in Istanbul to increase pressure on Syrian President Bashar al Assad.

The United Nations estimates the fighting in Syria has killed more than 70,000 people.

"The stakes in Syria couldn't be more clear," said US Secretary of State John Kerry.

"Chemical weapons, the slaughter of people by ballistic missiles and other weapons of huge destruction, the potential of a whole country ... being torn apart into enclaves, the potential of sectarian violence.

John Kerry meets Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul

"This bloodshed needs to stop and that's what brought us here tonight on Saturday and a very early Sunday morning to talk about the possibilities for peace and transition."

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers said they welcomed the Syrian National Coalition's "firm rejection of extremism and its commitment not to use chemical weapons".

They cited those commitments in agreeing to enhance and expand support for all coalition institutions.

The foreign ministers said they recognised the "need to change the balance of power on the ground" and welcomed the additional pledges and commitments to further increase the support to the Supreme Military Council.

The head of the council provided a military briefing during the meeting.

Syrian opposition leader Moaz al Khatib said: "Our revolution is for the entire Syrian people."

US President Barack Obama has said he has no plans to send weapons or give lethal aid to the rebels, despite pressure from Congress, some administration advisers and appeals from the Syrian opposition leadership.

Since February, the US has shipped food and medical supplies directly to the Free Syrian Army, but Mr Obama recently expanded the aid to include defensive military equipment.

Mr Kerry's announcement on Saturday was the first under that new authorisation.

So far, the US has provided an estimated $117m in non-lethal aid to the Syrian opposition.

Today, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel heads to Israel in a week-long trip to the Middle East that will be dominated by the Syrian conflict as well as the Iran's nuclear programme.

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Texas Plant Explosion: 14 Bodies Recovered

Officials have recovered 14 bodies following a massive explosion that levelled a fertiliser plant and destroyed dozens of homes in West, Texas.

Texas Department of Public Safety Sgt Jason Reyes did not say where the bodies were found but said more information would be provided later.

He says the bodies will be sent to the Dallas County medical examiner's office for identification.

The blast levelled nearby apartments

Sgt Reyes earlier announced that 12 bodies had been recovered by Friday morning and that search and rescue efforts were ongoing.

Senator John Cornyn, speaking earlier to reporters in West, said as many as 60 people remain unaccounted for, but suggested some could be staying with friends and relatives.

Even before investigators released a confirmed number of fatalities, the names of the dead were becoming known in the town of 2,800.

A small group of firefighters and others who may have rushed toward the factory to battle a pre-explosion blaze are believed to be among the dead. Sgt Reyes said he could not confirm how many of those killed were first responders.

Mourners gather for a candle light vigil at a church in West

Authorities said there is no indication that the blast was anything other than an industrial accident. It remains unclear what sparked the blaze.

"We know everyone that was there first, in the beginning," said Christina Rodarte, who has lived in West for 27 years. "There's no words for it.

"It is a small community, and everyone knows the first responders, because anytime there's anything going on, the fire department is right there - all volunteer."

One victim Ms Rodarte knew and whose name has been released was Kenny Harris, a 52-year-old captain in the Dallas Fire Department who lived south of West. He was off duty at the time but responded to the fire to help, according to a statement from the city of Dallas.

A massive plume of smoke filled the Texas sky after the blast

West's landscape is likely to be altered permanently after an area four to five blocks in radius was levelled by the blast. An apartment complex was badly shattered, a school set ablaze, and a nursing home was left in ruins.

Residents have been kept out of a large swathe of West, where search and rescue teams continue to pick through the rubble.

Some with permission have made forays closer to the destruction and came back stunned - and it is possible other residents will be allowed to retrieve some personal belongings on Friday, emergency workers said.

Texas attorney general Greg Abbott said: "I had an expectation of what I would see, but what I saw went beyond my expectations in a bad way. It is very disturbing to see the site."

Firefighter Darryl Hall, from Thorndale, about 50 miles away from West, was one of the rescue workers helping with the house-to-house search.

He said: "People's lives are devastated here. It's hard to imagine."

A nearby football pitch served as a makeshift triage in the aftermath

A team from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives still had not been able to begin investigating the scene because it remained unsafe, agency spokeswoman Franceska Perot said.

The West Fertilizer Co facility stores and distributes anhydrous ammonia, a fertiliser that can be directly injected into soil, and a blender and mixer of other fertilisers.

Records reviewed by the AP news agency show the US Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration fined West Fertilizer $10,000 last summer for safety violations that included planning to transport anhydrous ammonia without a security plan.

An inspector also found the plant's ammonia tanks were not properly labelled.

In a risk-management plan filed with the Environmental Protection Agency about a year earlier, the company said it was not handling flammable materials and did not have sprinklers, water-deluge systems, blast walls, fire walls or other safety mechanisms in place at the plant.

State officials require all facilities that handle anhydrous ammonia to have sprinklers and other safety measures because it is a flammable substance, according to Mike Wilson, head of air permitting for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

But inspectors would not necessarily check for such mechanisms, and it is not known whether they did when the West plant was last inspected in 2006, said Ramiro Garcia, head of enforcement and compliance.

That inspection followed a complaint about a strong ammonia smell, which the company resolved by obtaining a new permit, said the commission's executive director Zak Covar.

He said no other complaints had been filed with the state since then, so there have not been additional inspections.

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