No survivors in blast at Tennessee explosives factory, sheriff says
A blast in the US state of Tennessee that levelled an explosives plant and was felt for miles around left no survivors, authorities said.
Humphreys County sheriff Chris Davis said during a news conference that officials were working on the assumption that all of the people at the site were dead.
The total number of people who died was unclear, as was the cause of the blast.
Mr Davis had said earlier there were 18 people missing.
“We’ve recovered no survivors,” he said.
The explosion on Friday morning at Accurate Energetic Systems, which supplies and researches explosives for the military, scattered debris over at least a half-mile area and was felt by residents more than 15 miles away, Mr Davis said.
Aerial footage showed the company’s hilltop location smouldering and smoky on Friday, with just a mass of twisted metal, burned-out shells of cars and an array of debris left behind.
Mr Davis, who described it as one of the worst scenes he has ever seen, said officials were investigating the site and still working to recover those who were killed.
“It’s not like working an accident. It’s not like working a tornado. We’re dealing with explosions. And I would say at this time, we’re dealing with remains,” he said.
At times becoming apparently emotional, Mr Davis said there has been an outpouring of support for the community, located in a heavily wooded area of rural Tennessee, between the economically vital Tennessee River and the bustling metropolis of Nashville.
Signs near the site on Saturday asked for prayers for the families.
The company’s website says it processes explosives and ammunition at an eight-building facility that sprawls across wooded hills in the Bucksnort area, about 60 miles south-west of Nashville.
Accurate Energetic Systems, based in nearby McEwen, said in a post on social media on Friday that “thoughts and prayers” are with the families and community impacted.
“We extend our gratitude to all first responders who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions,” the post said.
The company has been awarded numerous military contracts, largely by the US army and navy, to supply different types of munitions and explosives, according to public records. The products range from bulk explosives to landmines and small breaching charges, including C4.
When the explosion occurred, residents in Lobelville, a 20-minute drive from the scene, said they felt their homes shake, and some people captured the loud boom of the explosion on their home cameras.
The blast rattled Gentry Stover from his sleep.
“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” he told the Associated Press. “I live very close to Accurate and I realised about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”
Tennessee governor Bill Lee posted on the social media platform X that he is monitoring the situation and asked “Tennesseans to join us in prayer for the families impacted by this tragic incident”.
A small group gathered for a vigil on Friday night at a nearby park, clutching candles as they prayed for the missing and their families and sang Amazing Grace.
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