At least 19 people are dead or missing after explosion at Tennessee military factory
At least 19 people are missing, including an undetermined death toll, from an explosion at a military bomb factory in Tennessee
At least 19 people were dead or missing after a massive explosion ripped through a building at an explosives plant in Tennessee on Friday, authorities said.
It was a “massive detonation” so significant it shook homes for miles around.
The The early morning explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems, a manufacturer of military and demolition explosives, left charred debris and mangled vehicles across a wide area. The plant is in McEwen, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Nashville on the Hickman-Humphreys county line. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said there were fatalities but declined to say how many people were killed yet, only that “19 people are missing.” Emergency services continued the search and rescue.
“We have several people who are missing. We are trying to be mindful of the families in that situation. We have some people that we can confirm are deceased,” Sheriff Chris Davis said at a news conference.
Although the cause of the accident is still unknown, authorities reported that a “devastating explosion” occurred at 7:45 a.m. local time (1:45 p.m. GMT), which affected an “entire building.”
There were 19 employees at the scene, whose whereabouts are still unknown, Humphreys County Emergency Medical Assistance (EMA) Director Odell Poyner told local television station WKRN.
Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates said the facility has about 80 employees, but it is unclear how many were in the building when the explosion occurred.
The Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has responded to the scene to assist with the emergency.
Accurate Energetic Systems manufactures military explosives, authorities explained,While its official website states that it “manufactures and provides solutions for energy products serving the defense, aerospace, demolition, and oil and gas industries.”