The deadly blast at a factory in Tennessee claimed 16 lives and left no survivors, said officials on Saturday (local time). The explosion, they said, took place at 7.45 am on Friday at an Accurate Energetic Systems facility that processes ammunition and explosives.
In a statement, they earlier 18 people were unaccounted for, but two of them were not present at the factory when the explosion took place, adding that the death count is at 16. However, the officials are yet to declare the names of the deceased.
"At this time, I can tell you that we have not located any survivors. And we are making the assumption that all are deceased," Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said. "As of right now we have contacted all 16, and we’ll call them victims, our loved ones, families that we feel was part of this tragedy."
Officials launch probe
The cause of the massive explosion at the plant is not known yet, said officials, adding that they have launched a probe. In a statement, Special Agent Guy McCormick said forensic teams and explosives specialists also conducting a probe on the site of the blast to collect samples and evidence.
"In a situation like this, what we find is that when these explosives are subject to the event that took place — which is heat, the explosion being thrown, pressure — they can change, and they can become different than how we know them to act," McCormick said.
Company processes ammunition and explosives
According to the information available on Accurate Energetic Systems, the company processes explosives and ammunition at an eight-building facility that sprawls across wooded hills in the Bucksnort area, about 60 miles (97 kilometres) southwest of Nashville.
The company has been awarded numerous military contracts, largely by the US Army and Navy, to supply different types of munitions and explosives, according to public records. The products range from bulk explosives to landmines and small breaching charges, including C4.
