Massive blast at Tennessee explosives plant – 19 missing, feared dead

At least 19 people were reported missing and feared dead after a powerful explosion rocked a central Tennessee explosives plant early Friday. According to reports, the blast took place at Accurate Energetic Systems about 50 miles (80 km) west of Nashville. The impact of the explosion was so strong that it shook homes, leaving behind a trail of smoking debris.

Officials said it remains unclear what caused the blast, which reduced an entire building at the facility to rubble. “It’s gone,” Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said in a press conference, adding that the number of casualties is not yet confirmed. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the FBI team are currently at the scene investigating the cause of the explosion.

Drone footage on CNN showed the footprint of where the building once stood. Additionally, debris could be seen scattered alongside a parking lot. The 1,300-acre headquarters, located in Bucksnort, Tennessee, contained eight production buildings and a quality lab.

Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates told CNN the explosives plant had no record of safety issues, although a small ammunition blast had taken place there in 2014.

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