The search continues for 18 people that are unaccounted for after a deadly blast at a military explosives plant in Tennessee on Friday.Officials had originally said 19 people were missing, but the Humphreys County Emergency Management Agency updated that number Friday night after they said one person believed to be on site was found safe at home.Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said that they do not want to put a number on the fatalities at this time.It is not clear what caused the explosion around 7:45 a.m. CT. The blast sent plumes of smoke into the air and shook homes miles away.'(It was) a very devastating blast,” Davis said.Three people with “minor injuries” from the explosion were treated at TriStar medical facilities in Dickson, Casey Stapp, the spokesperson for TriStar Health said. Stapp said two people were released, and one person is still receiving treatment at an emergency room.Here is what to know as first responders search the rubble for missing people and try to determine what caused the explosion.Video above shows a look at the scene Friday.The searchMultiple agencies have responded to the scene and are working to assess and contain the fire but are currently holding back from the immediate area due to a concern over secondary explosions, the agency said. “We are trying to be mindful of families and that situation,” Davis said.It is currently unknown how many people were inside of the building at the time of the explosion.”I know the entire facility has approximately 80 employees. However, we do not at this time know how many were maybe involved in this blast. It’s a big facility. It’s confirmed that there is one building that was completely devastated, but at this time I am unaware of how many were in that building,” Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates said to CNN. The strength of the blast was felt by residents in Lobelville, which is a 20-minute drive away, and caused homes to shake.“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” Gentry Stover told The Associated Press by phone. “I live very close to Accurate and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office is asking everyone to avoid the area as emergency responders do their work. The search and investigation could take days, the sheriff said.The manufacturing plantThe company, Accurate Energetic Systems, LLC, is located about an hour southwest of Nashville, Tennessee, on the Hickman and Humphreys County line, the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office told CNN. Public records show that the company sold numerous types of weapons to the U.S. military, including dynamite, landmines and explosive powder for large-caliber shells. The contracts were awarded largely by the Army and Navy. Accurate Energetic Systems sells explosive products for a wide variety of purposes, ranging from structural demolition to strategic breaching operations, according to the website. Some of the products listed for sale are designed by the Department of Defense and approved for use for foreign military units, police forces and commercial customers.The manufacturing plant sits on 1,300 acres in Bucksnort, Tennessee, an unincorporated rural community approximately 60 miles southwest of Nashville. There are eight buildings on the plant that manufacture, store and research explosives for customers beyond just the military, including aerospace, oil and other commercial demolition industries.Video below shows a look at the plant from 2014.The company also uses the sprawling campus to test explosives, according to it’s website, measuring the velocity of explosions as well as their impact on surrounding areas under varying environmental conditions. The website says that facilities can safely accommodate explosives with up to 35 pounds of “net explosive weight,” and conducts daily tests.The company’s website noted that it “rigorously adheres to the stringent security standards” of defense department security and safety protocols.This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. Stay updated on the latest stories with the WVTM 13 app. You can download it here.
HICKMAN COUNTY, Tenn. —
The search continues for 18 people that are unaccounted for after a deadly blast at a military explosives plant in Tennessee on Friday.
Officials had originally said 19 people were missing, but the Humphreys County Emergency Management Agency updated that number Friday night after they said one person believed to be on site was found safe at home.
Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said that they do not want to put a number on the fatalities at this time.
It is not clear what caused the explosion around 7:45 a.m. CT. The blast sent plumes of smoke into the air and shook homes miles away.
‘(It was) a very devastating blast,” Davis said.
Three people with “minor injuries” from the explosion were treated at TriStar medical facilities in Dickson, Casey Stapp, the spokesperson for TriStar Health said. Stapp said two people were released, and one person is still receiving treatment at an emergency room.
Here is what to know as first responders search the rubble for missing people and try to determine what caused the explosion.
Video above shows a look at the scene Friday.
The search
Multiple agencies have responded to the scene and are working to assess and contain the fire but are currently holding back from the immediate area due to a concern over secondary explosions, the agency said.
“We are trying to be mindful of families and that situation,” Davis said.
It is currently unknown how many people were inside of the building at the time of the explosion.
“I know the entire facility has approximately 80 employees. However, we do not at this time know how many were maybe involved in this blast. It’s a big facility. It’s confirmed that there is one building that was completely devastated, but at this time I am unaware of how many were in that building,” Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates said to CNN.
The strength of the blast was felt by residents in Lobelville, which is a 20-minute drive away, and caused homes to shake.
“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” Gentry Stover told The Associated Press by phone. “I live very close to Accurate and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”
The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office is asking everyone to avoid the area as emergency responders do their work.
The search and investigation could take days, the sheriff said.
The manufacturing plant
The company, Accurate Energetic Systems, LLC, is located about an hour southwest of Nashville, Tennessee, on the Hickman and Humphreys County line, the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office told CNN.
Public records show that the company sold numerous types of weapons to the U.S. military, including dynamite, landmines and explosive powder for large-caliber shells. The contracts were awarded largely by the Army and Navy.
Accurate Energetic Systems sells explosive products for a wide variety of purposes, ranging from structural demolition to strategic breaching operations, according to the website. Some of the products listed for sale are designed by the Department of Defense and approved for use for foreign military units, police forces and commercial customers.
The manufacturing plant sits on 1,300 acres in Bucksnort, Tennessee, an unincorporated rural community approximately 60 miles southwest of Nashville. There are eight buildings on the plant that manufacture, store and research explosives for customers beyond just the military, including aerospace, oil and other commercial demolition industries.
Video below shows a look at the plant from 2014.
The company also uses the sprawling campus to test explosives, according to it’s website, measuring the velocity of explosions as well as their impact on surrounding areas under varying environmental conditions. The website says that facilities can safely accommodate explosives with up to 35 pounds of “net explosive weight,” and conducts daily tests.
The company’s website noted that it “rigorously adheres to the stringent security standards” of defense department security and safety protocols.
This is a developing story and will be updated as information becomes available. Stay updated on the latest stories with the WVTM 13 app. You can download it here.