At least two people were killed in a large explosion at an industrial site in Houston on Friday, and the authorities have started a criminal investigation to try to determine whether the cause of the blast was arson, the police chief said. The blast jolted residents from their beds in the early hours of the morning, blowing out windows and scattering debris across roughly half a mile. The Houston police chief, Art Acevedo, said it was part of the department’s protocol to investigate a possible criminal cause but added that “we have no reason to believe, we have no evidence at this point, that terrorism is involved.”He said it was not clear whether the two people killed were employees at the industrial site. The Houston Police announced early on Friday that the explosion took place at the 4500 block of Gessner Road in the city’s northwest. Traffic was blocked off in the area, and a shelter was set up at a nearby church.

Source: New York Times January 24, 2020 12:36 UTC