A deadly blast occurred at a Tennessee explosives plant, leaving several people dead and many others missing, according to PEOPLE. This happened on the morning of Friday, October 10, as stated in a press release from the Hickman County Sheriff’s Office.
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“Devastating Blast” At Tennessee Explosives Plant Kills Several, While Many Remain Missing
“We can confirm there has been an explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems in the Bucksnort area,” it said. “Emergency services are currently on the scene working to address the situation.”
It asked citizens to avoid the area so emergency responders could work properly. “If you are in the area, stay clear and follow the instructions from local authorities,” it said.
One witness to the explosion spoke with The Tennessean about the incident. Beyonica Holt told the outlet that the blast “shook their entire house,” even though they were about 14 miles from the explosion. Since then, their electricity has also been out.
“I thought I was going to die. It knocked stuff off my shelves,” said Holt. “I thought we were at war or something.”
Holt was standing in her bedroom when the blast occurred. “I thought it was going to blow out my windows—it didn’t, but that’s how big it was,” she added. “I’ve never been in an earthquake, but I thought that’s what it was.”
In a news conference shared by WZTV, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis revealed that an unknown number of people have died, while many others are missing. It was around 7:45 AM local time when a “devastating blast” erupted at the plant.
“We do have the scene as secure as possible at this time,” said Davis. He also confirmed that the authorities are working to connect with the victims’ families.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as other agencies, are involved at the scene. “We’ve got a lot of moving parts. We’ve got a very big investigation,” Davis continued.
Accurate Energetic Systems is also working with the authorities. “They’re wanting to figure out this just as much as we are,” said Davis.