A nearby industrial warehouse, the Watson Grinding and Manufacturing facility, had exploded.
Cruz went to the emergency room and was eventually released. He moved his wife and their two children into a hotel because their home was destroyed.
Two weeks later Cruz died, his lawyer says, from those injuries.
The explosion ended up damaging more than 470 homes and businesses, injuring at least 18 people and killing three.
Edward Castillo
The explosion aftermath at Watson Grinding and Manufacturing in Houston on Jan. 24, 2020.
Down the street, Frank Peters said he was working on home repairs when he was thrown against a wall. I was just convinced it was an atomic bomb, Peters said. You know, dirty bomb or something terrorism.
Energy & Environment
It’s Been 1 Year Since The Watson Explosion In Houston. What’s Being Done To Prevent More?
This is the first story in a series about chemical disasters in Texas. Fire Triangle is produced by Texas Public Radio in collaboration with Houston Public Media.
January 24, 2021, 10:32 AM
A worker moves a platform at the Watson Grinding and Manufacturing site in August, more than half a year after the explosion.
Click here to subscribe to Fire Triangle, a new podcast produced by Texas Public Radio in collaboration with Houston Public Media. This is the first story in a series about chemical disasters in Texas.