Blast rips through military explosives facility in Tennessee, leaving multiple people dead and missing, sheriff says

A powerful explosion ripped through a military explosives facility in Tennessee on Friday morning, leaving multiple people dead and missing, officials said. Video from the scene showed damaged vehicles and charred debris scattered around the area.

The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office said that there had been an explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems, a military explosives plant. Emergency services are responding, the office said. 

At a news conference, Humphrey County Sheriff Chris Davis said there were several people unaccounted for and some confirmed deaths, but gave no specifics. 

“We do have several people at this time unaccounted for. We are trying to be mindful of families and that situation,” Davis said. “We do have some that are deceased.”  

Davis warned there could be continued small explosions at the site. Hickman County Advanced EMT David Stewart told the Associated Press that emergency crews initially couldn’t enter the plant because of continuing detonations.

CBS affiliate WTVF-TV in Nashville broadcast video of debris strewn about the site, with damaged vehicles in a parking lot.   

The Associated Press reported that the blast rattled homes miles away. Gentry Stover, a nearby resident, told the AP that it woke him up. 

“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” he said in a phone interview. “I live very close to Accurate and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”

Accurate Energetic Systems specializes in the development, manufacture, handling and storage of products and explosives for military, aerospace and commercial demolition markets, according to their website. The company is cooperating with law enforcement, Davis said. 

The facility is on the border of Hickman and Humphreys County, about 60 miles southwest of Nashville. 

This is a developing story and will be updated.