A strong explosion at an explosives factory in Tennessee (United States) this Friday has caused the death of at least 19 people and several missing, according to local media reports.
The detonation leveled the Accurate Energetic Systems military plant, Bucksnort, and shook homes miles away. At the moment there are 13 people missing, as confirmed by the mayor of Hickman, Kim Bates, to the American media ABC News.
“There are several people who are still missing at this time. We are trying to be sensitive to the families and the situation,” said Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis in a press conference, where he described the explosion, which affected an entire building, as “devastating.” “There are some people who have died,” he added.
Davis warned that small detonations could continue to occur at the site. For this reason, emergency teams were not able to enter the plant at first, according to the AP news agency.
NewsChannel 5 video from the scene showed a burning debris field and plumes of smoke. Nashville television station WTVF-TV broadcast images of debris strewn across the site, with damaged vehicles in a parking lot. The news station reported receiving calls from people in the area who felt a loud explosion.
Accurate Energetic Systems specializes in the development, manufacturing, handling and storage of products and explosives for the military, aerospace and commercial demolition markets.
