Several people were dead or missing after a massive explosion rocked an explosives factory in the United States on Friday, prompting first responders to rush to the scene and prompting official warnings for the public to avoid the area, authorities said.
“We can confirm that there has been an explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems in the Bucksnort area,” located in Hickman County, Tennessee, the local sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook.
“Emergency services are currently on scene working to address the situation,” he added.
The Hickman County mayor’s office said AFP which could not immediately confirm any fatalities or the cause of the explosion.
Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates said cnn The plant had no history of safety problems, although there was a small ammunition explosion in 2014. That incident killed one person and injured three, according to the Tennessean newspaper.
However, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis reported “some” deaths and added that several people were missing in the “very devastating explosion” that engulfed an entire building at the facility.
“We have several people missing right now. We’re trying to be aware of the families and that situation,” Davis said. “We have some that have passed away. But we’re going to go back and, like I said, we’re going to talk to these families, we’re going to notify these families.”
Davis said authorities had secured the area, but warned of the possibility of smaller explosions around the site.
Accurate Energetic Systems, an explosives manufacturer founded in 1980, develops, manufactures and stocks explosives for “the military, aerospace and commercial demolition markets,” according to the company’s website.
The 1,300-acre headquarters in Bucksnort, Tennessee, includes eight production buildings and a quality laboratory.
Did not immediately respond to AFP request for comment.
