A general view of the road signage at Accurate Energetic Systems on October 10, 2025 in McEwen, Tennessee. An explosion this morning at Accurate Energetic Systems military munitions plant has left over a dozen people missing, with multiple fatalities
McEWEN, Tenn. – Authorities said Saturday that the explosion at an explosives plant in rural Tennessee, which leveled the facility and was felt miles away, left no survivors.
What they’re saying:
Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said during a news conference that officials were working on the assumption that all of the people at the site were dead. The total number of people who died was unclear, as was the cause of the blast.
Davis had said earlier there were 18 people missing.
RELATED: “Devastating blast” rips through Tennessee explosives plant; 19 people missing and feared dead
“We’ve recovered no survivors,” Davis said.
The backstory:
The explosion Friday morning at Accurate Energetic Systems, which supplies and researches explosives for the military, scattered debris over at least a half-mile (800-meter) area and was felt by residents more than 15 miles (24 kilometers) away, Davis said.
Aerial footage showed the company’s hilltop location smoldering and smoky Friday, with just a mass of twisted metal, burned-out shells of cars and an array of debris left behind.
Davis, who described it as one of the worst scenes he’s ever seen, said officials were investigating the site and still working to recover those who were killed.
“It’s not like working an accident. It’s not like working a tornado. We’re dealing with explosions. And I would say at this time, we’re dealing with remains,” he said.
At times becoming apparently emotional, Davis said there has been an outpouring of support for the community, located in a heavily wooded area of middle Tennessee, between the economically vital Tennessee River and the bustling metropolis of Nashville.
Signs near the site on Saturday asked for prayers for the families.
19 missing after deadly explosion in Tennessee
19 people are missing and feared dead after a deadly explosion at a military munitions plant near Bucksnort, Tennessee. The sheriff said it was one of the most devastating scenes he’s ever seen, referring to the 19 missing as “souls.”
Local perspective:
Terry Bagsby, 68, is retired but he helps out working the register at a gas station near the site. He said people in the close-knit community are “very, very sad.”
He said he knows people who worked at the site and are missing.
“I don’t know how to explain it. … Just a lot of grief.”
Dig deeper:
The company’s website says it processes explosives and ammunition at an eight-building facility that sprawls across wooded hills in the Bucksnort area, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Nashville. It’s not immediately known how many people work at the plant or how many were there when the explosion happened.
Davis said investigators are trying to determine what happened and couldn’t say what caused the explosion.
Accurate Energetic Systems, based in nearby McEwen, said in a post on social media on Friday that their “thoughts and prayers” are with the families and community impacted.
“We extend our gratitude to all first responders who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions,” the post said.
Big picture view:
The U.S. has a long history of deadly accidents at workplaces, including the Monongah coal mine explosion that killed 362 men and boys in West Virginia in 1907. Several high-profile industrial accidents in the 1960s helped lead President Richard Nixon to sign a law creating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration the next year.
In 2019, Accurate Energetic Systems faced several small fines from the U.S. Department of Labor for violations of policies meant to protect workers from exposure to hazardous chemicals, radiation and other irritants, according to citations from OSHA.
In 2014, an explosion occurred at another ammunition facility in the same small community, killing one person and injuring at least three others.
The Source: Information in this story comes from statements made by Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis during news conferences, official updates from local authorities, and details published on Accurate Energetic Systems’ website. The Associated Press contributed to this report. This story was reported from Los Angeles.
