Dairy farm explosion critically injures one person and kills around 18,000 cows
One AmericaDec 24, 2022
Texas Dairy Farm Explosion Kills Over 18K Cows
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Image copyright: Castro County Sheriff's Office [via BBC]
The Facts
A massive explosion and fire at the South Fork Dairy in west Texas killed more than 18K cows and left one person critically injured Monday evening, Castro County authorities said Thursday.
The cows — each reportedly valued at $2K — were huddled together in a holding pen, waiting to be milked, when the explosion occurred.
The Spin
Narrative A
It is hard to imagine anything worse than being burned alive. Ironically, there are no federal regulations protecting animals from fires that kill hundreds of thousands of farm animals each year. Until the government makes laws to prevent barn fires, farms must do more to protect animals by adopting common sense fire safety measures, including having access to fire extinguishers and completing annual fire safety training.
Narrative B
Local authorities are investigating this tragedy and for good reason. Besides a catastrophic loss of animal life, there are now serious environmental and health issues caused by the number of dead cattle, including potential run-off into the Brazos River Basin. This is another industrial accident in the US with potential cascading consequences for ecosystems and nearby communities.
