Authorities said Saturday that no one survived the explosion at a rural Tennessee explosives facility, which flattened the site and sent shockwaves felt for miles.
At a Saturday news briefing, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said authorities believe everyone who had been at the explosives plant on Friday was killed in the blast. The exact number of victims and the cause of the explosion remain uncertain.
“At this time, we have recovered no survivors,” Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said during a news briefing. Earlier, Davis said 18 people were unaccounted for. “
Davis declined to specify how many people were killed in the Friday morning explosion, saying authorities are still in the process of identifying the remains.
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“We can probably make the assumption, and I’m not even going to use the word assumption,I think that we can utilize, well, I have to use that word, forgive me, we can assume that they are deceased at this point.”
Davis said investigators have not yet determined what caused the explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems near McEwen and added that foul play has not been ruled out.
Accurate Energetic Systems produces explosives and ammunition for both military and commercial use. The company describes itself on its website as a small business focused on developing, manufacturing, and safely handling high-quality energetic materials for defense and industrial applications. The company supplied and researched explosives for the military.
Calling it one of the worst scenes he has ever witnessed, Davis said investigators were still combing through the wreckage and working to recover the victims.
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“This isn’t like responding to a crash or a tornado,” he said. “We’re dealing with the aftermath of explosions, and at this point, we’re recovering remains.”
According to OSHA records, Accurate Energetic Systems was fined several times in 2019 by the U.S. Department of Labor for violations related to worker safety, including failures to protect employees from hazardous chemicals, radiation, and other dangerous substances.