At least 19 missing, feared dead as deadly explosion rocks US military explosives plant

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis described the incident as a “devastating blast,” saying responders were able to secure the scene by late morning. (Image: AP)

Multiple people were killed and 19 others were missing and feared dead after a massive explosion Friday morning at a rural Tennessee manufacturing plant in the United States owned by a company that produces explosives for the military, aerospace, and commercial demolition industries, authorities said.

The explosion occurred around 7:45 a.m. local time at Accurate Energetic Systems, a facility that manufactures, stores, and researches explosives for the military, aerospace, and commercial demolition industries, according to the company’s website.

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis described the incident as a “devastating blast,” saying responders were able to secure the scene by late morning. “We do have several people at this time that’s unaccounted for. We do have some folks, we can confirm that we do have some that are deceased,” Davis said.

The explosion shook houses miles away, and rescuers had to keep their distance for hours due to burning debris and the risk of secondary blasts. The company’s eight-building facility sits on 1,300 acres of wooded hills near the town of Bucksnort, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Nashville. The site is used for the manufacture, research, and testing of munitions and explosives, including measuring the velocity of blasts, the company’s website says.

Aerial footage captured by WTVF-TV showed one of the facility’s buildings reduced to a smoldering wreck.

Accurate Energetic Systems’ executives did not immediately respond to emails seeking comment Friday, and a call to the company’s phone went unanswered.

The company’s website states that it sells explosive products for a wide range of purposes, including structural demolition and strategic defense operations. Some of the listed products are designed by the U.S. military and approved for use by “foreign military units, police forces and commercial customers.”

Public records show that Accurate Energetic Systems has been awarded numerous military contracts over the years to produce various types of munitions and explosives. The contracts, primarily from the U.S. Army and Navy, include products ranging from bulk explosives to landmines and small breaching charges, including the explosive C4 and landmines.

The company also uses its sprawling campus to test explosives, measuring their velocity and impact on surrounding areas under different conditions. The website notes that it “rigorously adheres to the stringent security standards” of Department of Defense safety protocols.

Officials at the Pentagon said they were aware of the explosion and were looking into the situation.

Three people with “minor injuries” from the blast were treated at TriStar medical facilities in Dickson, according to Casey Stapp, spokesperson for TriStar Health. “Two have been released and one is still under treatment,” Stapp said.

Nearby residents described feeling the power of the blast. “I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” said Gentry Stover, a local resident. “I live very close to Accurate and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”

With inputs from AP