HOUSTON -- Insurance companies are expected to begin assessing damage Monday at homes and buildings near a southwest Houston chemical plant that exploded, Local 2 reported.

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Parishioner Shows Plant Explosion's Damage To Church

The explosion at the Marcus Oil & Chemical plant destroyed parts of the New Deliverance Church, forcing the congregation to hold Sunday services at the Stafford Civic Center in Fort Bend County.

"It's not pretty. We have some walls that have been shifted off the foundation, we have a lot of splitting of sheet rock … ceilings collapsed … sinks falling off the bathroom walls and things of that nature. It's not a pretty sight," New Deliverance Church spokesman Jeffrey McClendon told Local 2.

Parishioner Darrel Wright said he is fed up with the fact that this is the second time in one year an explosion has emanated from the plant, which sits across the street from the church on Minetta near Haviland.

"We are very frustrated and are starting to wonder what is really going on. Why is it that the plant keeps exploding?" Wright told Local 2.

Federal investigators with the Chemical Safety Board say their investigation is now focusing on one tank inside the plant.

"We have some evidence of the tank that was involved in this will undergo some scrutiny over the next several days," federal investigator Johnnie Banks said.

Houston Fire Department Arson Division Chief Roy Paul told Local 2 Monday that their best guess is that too much pressure built up in one of the tanks, which caused the explosion.

Other officials believe the explosion may have been caused by a mechanical failure in a vessel. The exact cause remains under investigation.

Cleanup at the plant continued Sunday after an explosion shattered windows in nearby homes and set buildings at the facility ablaze.

Dowdy said about half of the plant, on Fondren near South Main, was damaged during the fire, which broke out shortly before 6 p.m. Friday.

Millions of bags of wax, used in paint and printing ink, produced by the plant melted and flowed out into a parking lot, where firefighters were working at one point.

One firefighter suffered burns when he fell forward into the wax and used his hands to catch himself. The firefighter was treated at a nearby hospital. A second firefighter was also transported to a hospital after suffering a back injury.

Nine nearby residents went to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries, Dowdy said.

Previous Stories:

December 4, 2004: Mechanical Failure In Vessel Caused Chemical Fire
December 3, 2004: Chemical Plant Explodes Into 3-Alarm Fire