Eighteen people are dead or missing after a massive blast obliterated a building at a Tennessee explosives facility on Friday, authorities said — a “mass detonation” so significant that it rattled homes miles away.The early-morning explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems, which manufactures military and demolition explosives, left charred debris and mangled vehicles across a vast area. The blast was felt as far as 15 miles away and scattered debris over half a square mile.Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said there are fatalities but did not want to declare a death toll yet.“I always wish for the best,” Davis said. “Is there a possibility that somebody might be injured somewhere, or somebody that we don’t know about? Yes.”Officials previously said they were “missing 19 souls,” but later clarified one person who was initially believed to be at the plant was located at their home. Investigators are working to confirm who was at the facility Friday morning and notifying victims’ families, according to a joint release from Hickman and Humphreys County officials Friday night.“Our hearts are with the families still waiting for word tonight. We are doing everything possible to bring them information and support,” the release said.Video below: Aerial footage shows the extent of the damageAs of Friday evening, authorities were still working to contact some of the next-of-kin of employees who were believed to have been inside the building at the time of the explosion, a law enforcement source tells CNN.As part of the ongoing effort to determine which company employees may have been among the victims, the source said authorities are now also conducting analysis of records from nearby cell phone towers. The sophisticated process involves comparing the cell phone numbers of employees with local cell phone tower registration records to help pinpoint the geographical location of a device at the time of the explosion.Davis described the aftermath of the explosion as “the most devastating scene that I’ve seen in my career.”“It’s hell,” Davis told reporters Friday evening. “It’s hell on us. It’s hell on everybody involved.”Work at the explosion site will continue into the night, he said.“We’re working for our people, and we want to take care of our families,” an emotional Davis said. “I understand that some families get mad. I understand that some people get upset … We’re doing the very best we can to take care of this.”Davis said investigators from multiple agencies have been assisting with the response but have not yet determined what caused the explosion. The FBI will be assisting.“Do I see a short-term explanation? No. Do I see us being here for many days? Yes, I do see that,” he said.Davis noted people were undergoing a “gauntlet of emotions” as first responders continued to search the area. The tragedy hit close-knit communities.“I can tell you right off the top of my head that there’s three families that’s involved in this that I’m very close to,” Davis said. “When you have small counties like this, we know each other, we communicate with each other, we love each other.”The blast shook nearby homes and set off smaller explosions, local officials say.The explosion, which happened around 7:45 a.m. local time, was a “devastating blast,” but responders were able to secure the scene by late morning, 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.In a statement Friday evening, Accurate Energetic Systems called the blast at its facility a “tragic accident.”“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, coworkers, and community members affected by this incident,” the company said on Facebook. “We extend our gratitude to all first responders who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions.”The company, which specializes in making military explosives, is located about an hour southwest of Nashville, Tennessee, on the Hickman and Humphreys County line, the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office told CNN.The company’s Facebook page says it manufactures “various high explosive compositions and specialty products for the U.S. DoD and U.S. Industrial markets.”Last month, the US Department of Defense awarded Accurate Energetic Systems a contract for nearly $120 million “for the procurement of TNT.”Investigation may last ‘for days,’ mayor saysHickman County Mayor Jim Bates said the facility has about 80 employees, but it’s unclear how many were in the building when the explosion happened. Bates said one building on the site was completely destroyed.“It’s pretty devastating to see this,” Bates said.“It’s going to be an investigation that’s probably going to go on for days,” the mayor said. “This facility, they do manufacture, not only military, but demolition explosives for road work and things like that.”Numerous law enforcement resources from across Tennessee have been dispatched to assist in the investigation, including federal agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, a source familiar told CNN. More than 300 emergency personnel were at the scene Friday, officials said.The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office, Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are leading the investigation.Recovery and investigative work will continue through the weekend and the ATF’s National Response Team is expected to arrive Saturday to process the scene, a release from officials said.The relatively remote area is typically patrolled by smaller law enforcement departments, the person said, which has prompted other agencies to volunteer resources for support.The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office is asking everyone to avoid the area as emergency responders do their work.Tennessee state Sen. Kerry Roberts told CNN the facility sits on a 1,300-acre campus and is a beloved employer for many people in the community.He said it’s common to see employees at community events and people wearing baseball caps with the company name on them.“It is a well-loved company in the area,” Roberts said. “So this is going to have a devastating impact on quite a few families … it is heartbreaking.”Residents who live near the facility say they felt the impact of the explosion.“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.”Cody Warren, who lives in Lobelville, about 21 miles away from the facility, said the sound from the explosion woke him up and he thought lightning struck his house.Plant had previous blast, OSHA finesThe plant suffered another blast that killed a worker a decade ago, according to media reports, and federal data shows it had faced fines related to work safety practices.In April 2014, one person was killed and four others injured during a blast at the plant, CNN affiliate WSMV reported. The explosion, in the back of a building that housed shotgun ammunition, caused extensive damage. At the time, authorities said several companies operated on the Accurate Energetic Systems property but the blast happened in an area operated by Rio Ammunition.In the player below: Here is a look at what the plant looked like after the 2014 explosionYears later, records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration show Accurate Energetic Systems was fined $7,200 after a 2019 inspection found violations for standards involving the use of personal protective equipment, employee exposure to contaminants and employee training about safety hazards, among other citations.The records show the company contested the violations and eventually came to a formal settlement. Additional details about the inspection and its conclusions weren’t immediately available, and it’s not clear whether the plant has faced any more recent health or safety inspections.Over the last nine years, Accurate Energetic Systems filed annual injury reports with OSHA showing it had a total of 46 work-related injuries, but no work-related deaths going back to 2016, the earliest year with data available. In 2024, the most recent year data was available, the company reported five injuries and one other illness.In 2021, a former employee sued and alleged they were improperly terminated after being blamed for a fire that broke out at the facility the previous year. The company disputed that claim and the suit was dropped after mediation.
Eighteen people are dead or missing after a massive blast obliterated a building at a Tennessee explosives facility on Friday, authorities said — a “mass detonation” so significant that it rattled homes miles away.
The early-morning explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems, which manufactures military and demolition explosives, left charred debris and mangled vehicles across a vast area. The blast was felt as far as 15 miles away and scattered debris over half a square mile.
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Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said there are fatalities but did not want to declare a death toll yet.
“I always wish for the best,” Davis said. “Is there a possibility that somebody might be injured somewhere, or somebody that we don’t know about? Yes.”
Officials previously said they were “missing 19 souls,” but later clarified one person who was initially believed to be at the plant was located at their home. Investigators are working to confirm who was at the facility Friday morning and notifying victims’ families, according to a joint release from Hickman and Humphreys County officials Friday night.
“Our hearts are with the families still waiting for word tonight. We are doing everything possible to bring them information and support,” the release said.
Video below: Aerial footage shows the extent of the damage
As of Friday evening, authorities were still working to contact some of the next-of-kin of employees who were believed to have been inside the building at the time of the explosion, a law enforcement source tells CNN.
As part of the ongoing effort to determine which company employees may have been among the victims, the source said authorities are now also conducting analysis of records from nearby cell phone towers. The sophisticated process involves comparing the cell phone numbers of employees with local cell phone tower registration records to help pinpoint the geographical location of a device at the time of the explosion.
Davis described the aftermath of the explosion as “the most devastating scene that I’ve seen in my career.”
“It’s hell,” Davis told reporters Friday evening. “It’s hell on us. It’s hell on everybody involved.”
Work at the explosion site will continue into the night, he said.
“We’re working for our people, and we want to take care of our families,” an emotional Davis said. “I understand that some families get mad. I understand that some people get upset … We’re doing the very best we can to take care of this.”
Davis said investigators from multiple agencies have been assisting with the response but have not yet determined what caused the explosion. The FBI will be assisting.
“Do I see a short-term explanation? No. Do I see us being here for many days? Yes, I do see that,” he said.
Davis noted people were undergoing a “gauntlet of emotions” as first responders continued to search the area. The tragedy hit close-knit communities.
“I can tell you right off the top of my head that there’s three families that’s involved in this that I’m very close to,” Davis said. “When you have small counties like this, we know each other, we communicate with each other, we love each other.”
The blast shook nearby homes and set off smaller explosions, local officials say.
The explosion, which happened around 7:45 a.m. local time, was a “devastating blast,” but responders were able to secure the scene by late morning, 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.
In a statement Friday evening, Accurate Energetic Systems called the blast at its facility a “tragic accident.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, coworkers, and community members affected by this incident,” the company said on Facebook. “We extend our gratitude to all first responders who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions.”
The company, which specializes in making military explosives, is located about an hour southwest of Nashville, Tennessee, on the Hickman and Humphreys County line, the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office told CNN.
The company’s Facebook page says it manufactures “various high explosive compositions and specialty products for the U.S. DoD and U.S. Industrial markets.”
Last month, the US Department of Defense awarded Accurate Energetic Systems a contract for nearly $120 million “for the procurement of TNT.”
Investigation may last ‘for days,’ mayor says
Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates said the facility has about 80 employees, but it’s unclear how many were in the building when the explosion happened. Bates said one building on the site was completely destroyed.
“It’s pretty devastating to see this,” Bates said.
“It’s going to be an investigation that’s probably going to go on for days,” the mayor said. “This facility, they do manufacture, not only military, but demolition explosives for road work and things like that.”
Numerous law enforcement resources from across Tennessee have been dispatched to assist in the investigation, including federal agents and the Tennessee Highway Patrol Special Operations Unit, a source familiar told CNN. More than 300 emergency personnel were at the scene Friday, officials said.
The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office, Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are leading the investigation.
Recovery and investigative work will continue through the weekend and the ATF’s National Response Team is expected to arrive Saturday to process the scene, a release from officials said.
The relatively remote area is typically patrolled by smaller law enforcement departments, the person said, which has prompted other agencies to volunteer resources for support.
The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office is asking everyone to avoid the area as emergency responders do their work.
Tennessee state Sen. Kerry Roberts told CNN the facility sits on a 1,300-acre campus and is a beloved employer for many people in the community.
He said it’s common to see employees at community events and people wearing baseball caps with the company name on them.
“It is a well-loved company in the area,” Roberts said. “So this is going to have a devastating impact on quite a few families … it is heartbreaking.”
Residents who live near the facility say they felt the impact of the explosion.
“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.”
Cody Warren, who lives in Lobelville, about 21 miles away from the facility, said the sound from the explosion woke him up and he thought lightning struck his house.
Plant had previous blast, OSHA fines
The plant suffered another blast that killed a worker a decade ago, according to media reports, and federal data shows it had faced fines related to work safety practices.
In April 2014, one person was killed and four others injured during a blast at the plant, CNN affiliate WSMV reported. The explosion, in the back of a building that housed shotgun ammunition, caused extensive damage. At the time, authorities said several companies operated on the Accurate Energetic Systems property but the blast happened in an area operated by Rio Ammunition.
In the player below: Here is a look at what the plant looked like after the 2014 explosion
Years later, records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration show Accurate Energetic Systems was fined $7,200 after a 2019 inspection found violations for standards involving the use of personal protective equipment, employee exposure to contaminants and employee training about safety hazards, among other citations.
The records show the company contested the violations and eventually came to a formal settlement. Additional details about the inspection and its conclusions weren’t immediately available, and it’s not clear whether the plant has faced any more recent health or safety inspections.
Over the last nine years, Accurate Energetic Systems filed annual injury reports with OSHA showing it had a total of 46 work-related injuries, but no work-related deaths going back to 2016, the earliest year with data available. In 2024, the most recent year data was available, the company reported five injuries and one other illness.
In 2021, a former employee sued and alleged they were improperly terminated after being blamed for a fire that broke out at the facility the previous year. The company disputed that claim and the suit was dropped after mediation.
