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Tennessee explosion: Accurate Energetic Systems' 2014 blast surfaces; ‘eerily similar’
As crews battle the aftermath of a devastating explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems in Bucksnort, a 2014 incident at the same facility has resurfaced
As emergency crews continue to battle the aftermath of a devastating explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems in the Bucksnort area, a 2014 incident at the same facility has resurfaced, drawing chilling parallels to Friday's blast. Authorities confirmed that dozens of locals are unaccounted for after an explosion at the Hickman facility at around 7:50 AM local time on Friday.
“We can confirm there has been an explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems in the Bucksnort area,” the local sheriff's office wrote on Facebook. "Emergency services are currently on the scene working to address the situation," it added. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis reported ‘some’ fatalities.
Read More: Bucksnort explosion: What is Accurate Energetic Systems? What does it do? All on Tennessee blast
Meanwhile, social media users brought up the 2014 explosion that rocked the Accurate Energetic Systems facility. In April that year, a blast at the property, then operating as Rio Ammunition, killed one person and left three others injured. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) determined that the explosion was accidental and there was no foul play involved.
Friday's explosion, reported around at the McEwen facility on the Hickman-Humphreys County line, engulfed an entire building, scattering debris and igniting secondary blasts. The ATF, Homeland Security, and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are on site, assisting with the probe, which has not yet determined a cause.
Accurate Energetic Systems, founded in 1980, specializes in high-grade explosives for military, aerospace, demolition, and mining industries, including shotgun cartridges, and received a $601,000 state grant in 2020 for a $9.7 million expansion that added 80 jobs.
The facility's location, about 50 miles west of Nashville off Interstate 40, felt the shockwaves miles away, with residents in Lobelville reporting homes shaking and items falling from shelves.
Hickman County Emergency Management Director Jason Bates told The Tennessean, "We just pray that the good Lord keeps their hand on the families that's involved."
The Tennessee Department of Transportation has closed State Route 230 north of I-40, and the public is urged to avoid the area.
