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Downtown shops feeling the impact after explosion at Sandman Hotel

Search into downtown Fort Worth explosion ongoing
Search into downtown Fort Worth explosion ongoing 03:04

FORT WORTH - The investigation into the massive explosion at the Sandman Hotel in downtown Fort Worth on Monday continues. And with the streets around the Sandman Hotel still blocked off, small businesses in the area are being impacted.

"Oh I feel blessed it could be so much worse," said Angeliki Farquhar the owner of the David Dalton Salon. 

Angeliki Farquhar's David Dalton Salon on West 8th Street is just steps away from the Sandman Hotel in downtown Fort Worth.

"We walk over there a lot after work between clients," said Farquhar.

The cause of the explosion inside the Sandman Hotel on Monday afternoon which triggered two stories of debris to collapse into the hotel's basement is still unknown. 21 people were injured in the explosion including one woman who is in critical condition in Parkland's burn unit.

The Fort Worth Fire Department has said natural gas was involved in the explosion but they don't know if a gas leak caused the explosion, or if the explosion caused the gas problem and that the exact cause of the explosion could take some time to determine.

Farquhar's salon was closed Monday the day of the explosion. Her salon has no external damage and only a portion of the wall inside her salon fell down.

"I just don't feel lucky, we're truly blessed," said Farquhar.

But she hasn't been able to open up her doors since the explosion happened. 

"Loss of business loss of money, having to reschedule, it's hard, everybody understands because it is a devastation," said Farquhar. "The unknown is worse because we don't know when we can open."

But she's grateful no one lost their life.

"I'm just happy that there wasn't more people hurt," said Farquhar.

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