Rescue teams struggled for hours to approach the site due to the burning debris field and the risk of further explosions.
A strong explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems military ammunition factory, located in rural Tennessee, resulted in multiple deaths and left at least 19 people missing this Friday (10), according to local authorities. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said the exact number of fatalities has not yet been determined. Rescue teams struggled for hours to approach the site due to the burning debris field and the risk of further explosions. The detonation was so intense that it could be heard and felt miles away. Accurate Energetic Systems, which makes and tests explosives, has an eight-building facility that sprawls across wooded hills in the Bucksnort area, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Nashville.
“Right now, we have several people missing. We are trying to be sensitive to the families and the situation,” Davis said at a press conference, confirming “some fatalities.” The cause of the explosion, described as “devastating” by the sheriff, has not yet been identified, and the investigation could last for days. Aerial footage from WTVF-TV showed that one of the buildings at the top of the hill was completely destroyed, with only smoking debris and charred vehicles remaining.
On Friday afternoon, authorities confirmed that there was no longer a risk of secondary explosions and that the site was under control. David Stewart, a Hickman County paramedic, reported that emergency crews were initially unable to enter the plant due to the continued detonations. McEwen-based Accurate Energetic Systems did not immediately comment on the incident. “This is a tragedy for our community,” McEwen Mayor Brad Rachford said in an email.
Residents of Lobelville, 20 minutes from the explosion site, reported that their homes shook and recorded the loud bang on security cameras. Gentry Stover, a nearby resident, was awakened by the impact. “I thought the house had collapsed with me in it,” he said. “I live very close to Accurate and realized about 30 seconds after waking up that that was it.” State Rep. Jody Barrett of the nearby town of Dickson expressed concern about the economic impact of the tragedy, as the plant is a major source of jobs in the region.
“We live about 15 miles away as the crow flies and we clearly heard the explosion at home,” Barrett said. “It felt like something was going through the roof of our house.” The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) confirmed injuries but has not released numbers pending confirmation from the Department of Health. TEMA district coordinators were sent to the area at the request of Hickman County.
*With information from Estadão Conteúdo
Published by Sarah Paula
