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A huge explosion at a military plant in Tennessee has left 19 people missing and feared dead.
The blast obliterated a facility operated by Accurate Energetic Systems in Bucksnort, about 60 miles southwest of Nashville.
Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis told reporters it was one of the worst scenes he has ever seen.
‘There’s nothing to describe. It’s gone,’ Davis said of the plant.
He added that several people remain unaccounted for, referring to the 19 missing as ‘souls’ because officials were still speaking to family.
‘We do have several people at this time unaccounted for. We are trying to be mindful of families and that situation,’ Davis said at a news conference.
Video footage of the incident showed the blast occurred one of the facility’s buildings on a hilltop, incinerating vehicles and sending wreckage flying.
Ongoing smaller detonations had impeded emergency services from entering the plant, authorities confirmed.
Davis said investigators are trying to determine what happened and couldn’t say what caused the explosion.
Brad Rachford, the mayor of McEwen, said the incident was a ‘tragedy’ for the community.
Residents in Lobelville, 20 minutes from the plant, reported hearing a loud boom and their homes shaking.
Gentry Stover, who lives near the facility, said he was woken by the blast.
‘I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it’, he said.
‘I live very close to Accurate and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.’
Republican state representative Jody Barrett said the blast sounded like something breaking through the roof of his home.
He said: ‘We live probably 15 miles as the crow flies and we absolutely heard it at the house.’
The politician added that he was concerned for the economic impact, given that the plant is a large employer in the area.
According to its website, Accurate Energetic Systems manufactures equipment for both military and civilian industries, including aerospace and demolition.
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