McEWEEN, Tenn. (AP) – An explosion at a Tennessee munitions factory left multiple dead and missing, authorities said Friday, as a secondary explosion forced rescue workers to retreat from the scene of burning rubble.
Explosions that people reported being heard and felt miles away occurred in the following locations: accurate energy system In rural Tennessee. The company manufactures and tests explosives in an eight-building facility spread out over wooded hills near Bucksnort, a town about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Nashville, according to its website.
“We have several people missing at this time, and we’re trying to be considerate of their families and their situation,” Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said at a news conference. “Some people have died.”
The cause of the explosion was not immediately known, and Davis said the investigation could take several days.
Aerial footage of the aftermath WTVF-TV The explosion apparently destroyed one of the facility’s hilltop buildings, leaving only smoldering debris and a burnt-out vehicle shell.
The sheriff added that the scene is safe from large explosions, but smaller explosions may still be heard.
Hickman County Senior EMT David Stewart said by phone that emergency personnel were initially unable to enter the plant because of the continuing explosion. No details of casualties were given.
Accurate Energetic Systems, based in nearby McEwan, did not immediately respond to a phone message seeking comment Friday morning.
“This is a tragedy for our community,” McEwen Mayor Brad Luxford said in an email. He referred further comment to county officials.
Residents in Lovellville, a 20-minute drive from the scene, said they felt their homes shake and some captured the loud explosion on their home cameras.
The sound of an explosion jolted Gentry Stover from his sleep.
“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside,” he said by phone. “I live right around the corner from Accurate, and about 30 seconds after I woke up, I knew it had to be that.”
State Rep. Jody Barrett, a Republican from neighboring Dixon, was concerned about the potential economic impact since the plant is a major employer in the area.
“We live probably 25 miles away around the time you hear the crows, but you could definitely hear it at home,” Barrett said. “It sounded like something was breaking through the roof of the house.”
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency confirmed there were injuries, but said by phone that it was not releasing a number because the Department of Health had not confirmed it. A TEMA district coordinator was sent to the area at Hickman County’s request, she said.
