Explosion destroys Tennessee munitions factory; 18 missing and deaths feared

Eighteen people were missing and feared dead following an explosion Friday at a munitions factory in rural Tennessee that destroyed the building and was felt for miles.

The explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems, about 60 miles west of Nashville, left several people dead, but authorities had not yet determined the death toll as of Friday evening.

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said at a news conference that the scene was “one of the most devastating situations I’ve dealt with in my career” and that it would take time to determine the cause.

“There’s not going to be a short explanation for this,” Davis said, adding that investigators from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were on the scene.

When asked to describe the building where the explosion occurred, Davis responded, “There’s nothing to describe. It’s gone.”

Aerial video broadcast on WTVF television showed flames and smoke emanating from debris where the building once stood. Witnesses reported that the explosion was heard and felt for miles around, according to local media.

Davis initially said 19 people were missing, but WSMV television later reported that one of the people believed to be missing was found safe at home, citing officials.

The company gave no indication of the cause, saying in a statement: “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, co-workers and community members affected by this incident,” while thanking the first responders on the scene.

Accurate Energetic Systems develops, manufactures and stocks explosives for “the military, aerospace and commercial demolition markets,” according to the company’s website. The 1,300-acre headquarters in Bucksnort, Tennessee, includes eight production buildings and a quality laboratory.

The company offered relatively high-paying jobs in rural Tennessee, where employers must pay the minimum of $7.25 an hour. On its Facebook page, AES announced that it was hiring production workers at a starting rate of $19 an hour.

Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates told CNN the plant had no history of safety issues, although there was a small munitions explosion in 2014. That incident killed one person and injured three, according to The Tennessean newspaper.