A massive explosion at a Tennessee military explosives plant early Friday morning has left 19 people dead, officials confirmed, marking one of the deadliest industrial incidents in the state’s recent history.
The blast ripped through Accurate Energetic Systems around 7:45 a.m., reducing at least one building to rubble and scattering debris across a wide radius. The explosion was so powerful that homes miles away shook violently, and residents reported feeling as though their houses had collapsed.
Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis didn’t mince words when he addressed reporters: “We’re missing 19 souls,” he said. “I always wish for the best. Is there a possibility that somebody might be injured somewhere, or somebody that we don’t know about? Yes.”
But by late Friday night, officials confirmed the grim outcome. Nineteen people lost their lives in what Davis called “the most devastating scene that I’ve seen in my career.”
Local residents were rocked awake by the blast. Gentry Stover, who lives nearby, described the terrifying moment. “I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” Stover told The Associated Press. “I live very close to Accurate and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”
Even people living more than 20 miles away felt the impact. “It woke me up. I thought lightning struck the house,” said Cody Warren, who lives in Lobelville.
The explosion reportedly triggered a chain of smaller detonations, though emergency responders were able to secure the site by late morning. Three people suffered minor injuries and were treated at local TriStar facilities, with two released and one remaining under observation.
Accurate Energetic Systems, located near the Hickman and Humphreys County line about an hour southwest of Nashville, manufactures explosives for both military and commercial use. The facility sits on a 1,300-acre campus and employs about 80 people.
The building that exploded was completely destroyed.
“It’s pretty devastating to see this,” said Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates. “This facility, they do manufacture, not only military, but demolition explosives for road work and things like that.”
Senator Kerry Roberts noted the facility’s deep roots in the community. “It is a well-loved company in the area,” he said. “So this is going to have a devastating impact on quite a few families … it is heartbreaking.”
The cause of the explosion is still unknown. Investigators from multiple agencies, including federal authorities and Tennessee Highway Patrol’s Special Operations Unit, are combing through the scene.
“Do I see a short-term explanation? No,” Davis said. “Do I see us being here for many days? Yes, I do see that.”
The site, located in a relatively remote area, is typically patrolled by small local departments. The scale of the incident has led agencies across the state to send reinforcements to help secure and investigate the scene.
This isn’t the first time the facility has experienced tragedy. In 2014, a blast at the site killed one person and injured four others. That explosion occurred in an area operated by Rio Ammunition, but was still within the Accurate Energetic Systems complex.
Just last month, the U.S. Department of Defense awarded the company a nearly $120 million contract for the procurement of TNT.
By nightfall, heavy machinery was clearing debris, and families of the missing were gathering nearby, waiting for answers no one seemed able to give.
The sheriff’s office has asked the public to avoid the area while emergency crews continue their work.
