The Coryell Memorial Hospital explosion claimed another life on Thursday, bringing the death toll to two.
Construction crews and environmental cleanup crews are continuing to enter in and out of the explosion site to pick up the pieces left from the devastating disaster.
In the days following the deadly hospital explosion in Gatesville, the community has pulled together and to show the true strength of their town.
“The community’s really rallying around their hospital, they’re rallying around their friends and neighbors from Lochridge-Priest that were killed and injured,” Clinton McCoy of Carter BloodCare said.
The hospital, now with electricity restored, expects residents to move back in soon.
While a crew of 150 environmental cleanup workers does their part, a few miles down the road members of the community did theirs by donating blood.
“Through divine providence or intuition, this drive just happened to fall three days after the tragedy that occurred here on Tuesday,” McCoy said.
Dozens came out to donate Friday including Brandi Nichols, the wife of a hospital construction worker.
“This event hit a little closer to home for us. My husband was one of the construction workers on site when it happened,” Brandi Nichols said.
Coryell Memorial held a blood drive of their own just two weeks ago.
“It’s the blood on the shelf in the event of a tragedy that helps save those lives that afternoon. So, it very well could have been Gatesville’s own blood going to those patients that night,” McCoy said.
Nichols considers herself lucky. Lucky her husband is okay and lucky to be a part of the Gatesville community.
“We’re just blessed to be in such a tight-knit community and God has blessed all of us. It could’ve much worse,” Nichols said.
Coryell Memorial hopes to have their clinic and ER services up and running early next week.
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