Causes of Texas fertiliser plant blast mooted

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The burning remains of a fertiliser plant after a huge explosion at West, Texas 18 April 2013
Image caption,
The blast flattened homes and caused a powerful tremor

Investigators in Texas searching for clues to last month's deadly blast at a fertiliser plant say they have identified three possible causes.

Arson, an electrical wiring fault or even a broken golf buggy may have been responsible, they say.

Investigations into the cause of the blast and the fire that preceded it in the town of West are continuing.

The 17 April explosion at West Fertilizer Company killed 15 people, wounded 200, and caused a major tremor.

It flattened homes and damaged a block of flats as well as several schools.

"At this time, the state fire marshal's office and ATF [the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives] are ruling the cause of this fire is undetermined," State Fire Marshal Chris Connealy told a news conference in West on Thursday.

He said there had been reports of faulty golf buggy batteries sparking fires, and as the brake pad and an axle from a golf cart been found at the scene, that could not be ruled out as a cause.

Authorities had said earlier there was no indication the fire was anything other than an industrial accident.

The flames destabilised a tank of ammonium nitrate which then exploded when struck by falling equipment, officials told the news conference, adding that the chain reaction caused a much larger quantity of the chemical to detonate.