Oklahoma City, OK, April 26, 1995--Task Force members view collapsed layers of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, Oklahoma City, OK, from the ground floor.

Murrah Federal Building, Oklahoma City, 1995

Just after 9 a.m. on April 19, 1995, a truck bomb exploded in front of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The blast destroyed approximately one-third of the nine-story building and caused damage to several other buildings in the area. The blast killed a total of 167 people and injured more than 600.

The Oklahoma City Fire Department responded immediately, set up an incident command structure, and was in charge of the search and rescue operations. The FBI was in charge of the criminal investigation. Many organizations were involved in the response, including 11 USAR task forces from around the country. Search and rescue operations continued for 17 days. A volunteer responder was killed by falling debris, bringing the total number of deaths to 168. The building was demolished on May 23, 1995.