With her house annihilated, Cheryl Marak took cover in her brother's home, about two miles away from town.

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Rep. Bill Flores, whose district represents the town of West, said the courage of Marak in the face of loss isn't uncommon.

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"It demolished both the houses there, mine and my mom's, and it killed my dog, " Marak's wife, Cheryl, told CNN's Piers Morgan.

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Witness Debby Marak told the Associated Press news agency that she had seen smoke coming from the area near the plant and had driven over to see what was happening.

BBC: Texas Waco fertiliser plant blast causes many casualties

The explosion devastated Marak's family.

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