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Tennessee explosion: What caused the blast in Accurate Energetic Systems, Bucksnort? First details
Multiple people have died and several are missing after an explosion rocked Accurate Energetic Systems
Multiple people have died and several are missing after an explosion rocked Accurate Energetic Systems, according to the Hickman County Sheriff’s Office. The company's website says it makes and tests explosives at an eight-building facility that sprawls across wooded hills near Bucksnort.
“We do have several people at this time unaccounted for. We are trying to be mindful of families and that situation,” Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said at a news conference.
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"We do have some that are deceased.”
“Emergency personnel are on scene and actively managing the situation. Please avoid the area to allow responders to work safely and efficiently,” Humphreys County said in a statement.
“We appreciate your patience and cooperation — and we ask that you keep everyone involved in your prayers.”
Cause of the explosion
While the exact cause of the explosion was not immediately known, videos from the scene showed heavy smoke rising from a debris field. NBC affiliate WSMV-TV reported that 19 people are still unaccounted for, and many others have been rushed to the hospital.
“This is a tragedy for our community,” McEwen Mayor Brad Rachford said.
“We got a very big investigation. This is not going to be something that we're going to be like a car wreck or something like that, that we're just going to clean up the debris and leave. We're going to probably be here for a few days,” Sheriff Chris Davis added.
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“We're trying to take as much time as is needed right now. We're prioritizing people that are involved, their families and trying to be very compassionate toward them.”
Accurate Energetic Systems' website states that it was founded in 1980. It is dedicated to the ‘development, manufacture, handling, and storage of high-quality energetic products utilized in both defense and commercial markets’.
