There were no survivors in the blast that obliterated part of an explosives factory in rural Tennessee, authorities said on Saturday.
The families of 18 people had been waiting anxiously on Saturday as their loved ones had been feared dead since explosions ripped through the plant near McEwen in western Tennessee early on Friday. The initial toll had been believed to be 19 people but that figure was later revised.
The Humphreys county sheriff, Chris Davis, spoke to the public and media early on Saturday afternoon and revealed that authorities were assuming that anybody who was inside the building that exploded the day before was dead.
Davis said the tragedy was even “more devastating” than had been thought. In the close-knit community, he and other members of law enforcement and many in the community know people who were victims of the disaster.
The blast was felt for miles as it leveled a building at the 1,300-acre headquarters of Accurate Energetic Systems (AES), which is located in the tiny community of Bucksnort, just south of McEwen, about an hour’s drive west of Nashville.
“More than 300 people have been through almost every square inch of this facility, and at this time, we’ve recovered no survivors,” an emotional Davis told reporters early on Saturday afternoon. “It’s a great loss to our communities.”
Officials did not offer a precise death toll but have previously said 18 people were unaccounted for. Davis confirmed the operation had shifted from rescue to recovery and that investigators would use DNA testing to confirm the identities of those who are assumed to have died.
Investigators, including agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, were still working to determine the cause of the explosion, officials said.
The presence of explosives and other ordnance at the property has made searching the scene complicated. Initially, first responders were not able to get close to the scene of devastation because of secondary explosions.
In a statement on Friday, the company thanked first responders but did not indicate a possible cause.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, coworkers and community members affected by this incident,” the company said.
AES develops, manufactures and stores explosives for “military, aerospace and commercial demolition markets”, according to the company’s website. The headquarters includes eight production buildings and a quality lab.
A small ammunition explosion at the plant in 2014 killed one person and injured three, according to local news reports.
The Associated Press contributed reporting
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