Disaster Erupts as 18,000 Cattle Die in Texas Dairy Farm Inferno

An explosion and massive fire engulfed a Texas dairy farm overnight, killing nearly all 18,000 cattle inside and critically injuring one worker.
Animal experts call the incident by far the deadliest barn fire for cattle in US history and the deadliest in Texas since records began in 2013.
The blaze erupted at Southfork Dairy Farm in Dimmitt, Texas early Thursday morning and raged for over 12 hours before firefighters managed to extinguish the flames.
The exact cause of the fire remains unknown, though preliminary findings point to an exploding vacuum pump that then ignited highly flammable gases like methane.