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U.S. President Barack
Obama Thursday spoke to the families and friends of the 14 people killed in
last week’s explosion at a fertilizer plant in the small Texas town of
West. Obama once again played the role of consoler-in-chief.
At a memorial service
at Baylor University in the nearby city of Waco, President Obama offered
comfort to the survivors and families of the victims of the fatal blast.
He told the mourners
his administration would help their town recover from the disaster, and people
across America would not forget them.
“We may not all live
here in Texas, but we are neighbors too," he said. "We are Americans
too, and we stand with you, and we do not forget. And we will be there
even after the cameras leave.”
Fourteen people, 12 of
them emergency workers, died April 17 when the West Fertilizer plant caught
fire and exploded. Material damage was estimated at more than $100
million.
Investigators are
trying to determine what caused the blast.
At the service,
relatives and friends shared their recollections of the victims. And the
president offered a prayer for the people of the small town.
“God bless West.
May God grant His peace on those that we have lost, His comfort on their
families,” he said.
After the service, the
president and first lady Michelle Obama were scheduled to visit privately with
the families and friends of the firefighters killed in the explosion.
It was the second time
in a week that the first couple traveled to the scene of a tragedy to console
the survivors and victims’ families.
Last week, the
president took part in a memorial service for the people killed in the bombings
at the Boston Marathon.
Sources :
http://www.voanews.com/content/obama-mourns-victims-of-texas-industrial-blast/1648828.html
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