Nineteen people are missing and presumed dead following a massive explosion at a military munitions plant in Tennessee, according to authorities.
The blast occurred on Friday morning at Accurate Energetic Systems near Bucksnort, Tenn., a town about 96km southwest of Nashville on the border of Hickman and Humphreys counties.
“We do have 19 souls that we’re looking for,” Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said during a press briefing on Friday afternoon. Davis said he could not share a specific count of the deceased at the time.
“This is probably one of the most devastating situations that I’ve been on in my career,” he said.
He added that there was no clear indication of what caused the explosion and declined to answer whether he believed the blast was intentional or the result of an accident. It could be several days before there’s clarity on the cause, given the state of the scene, Davis said.
“Do I see a short-term explanation? No,” he said.
At an earlier briefing, Davis said an investigation into the blast would likely be drawn out
“We got a very big investigation,” he said. “This is not going to be something that we’re going to be like a car wreck or something like that, that we’re just going to clean up the debris and leave. We’re going to probably be here for a few days.”
According to the company’s website, Accurate Energetic Systems specializes in the “development, manufacture, handling, and storage of a diverse array of energetic products and explosives for military, aerospace, and commercial demolition markets.” Its facility in Tennessee sits on 1,300 acres and includes “eight specialized production buildings and a quality lab.”
The company’s customers include all branches of the U.S. military and several other departments within the federal government, according to the Association of the United States Army. Agency reports
