Multiple dead, missing in blast at munitions factory
Investigators are trying to determine what happened but cannot say what caused the explosion, Davis said. David Stewart, Hickman County advanced emergency medical technician, said emergency crews were initially unable to enter the facility due to ongoing explosions.
Accurate Energetic Systems, based in nearby McEwen, said on social media its “thoughts and prayers” were with the affected families and the community.
“We express our gratitude to all first responders who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions,” the post said.
There was no news from 18 people after the explosion in the region on Friday.Credit: access point
According to public records, the company has been awarded numerous military contracts, largely by the U.S. Army and Navy, for the supply of different types of ammunition and explosives. The products ranged from large explosives to land mines and small breach explosives including C4.
When the explosion occurred, residents of Lobelville, a 20-minute drive from the scene, said they felt their homes shake, and some people recorded the violent blast of the explosion on their home cameras.
The explosion woke Gentry Stover from his sleep.
“I thought the house collapsed while I was inside,” he told the Associated Press. “I live very close to Accurate and about 30 seconds after waking up I realized it had to be this way.”
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee reported on X that he was monitoring the situation and asked Tennesseans to “pray for the families affected by this tragic event.”
State Rep. Jody Barrett, from the neighboring town of Dickson, was concerned about the potential economic impact because the plant is a major employer in the area.
“We definitely heard that at home,” Barrett said. “It felt like something was going through the roof of our house.”
A small group gathered for a memorial service in a nearby park Friday night, holding candles and praying and singing for the missing and their families. Amazing Grace.
The United States has a long history of fatal workplace accidents, including the Monongah coal mine explosion in West Virginia in 1907 that killed 362 men and boys. Several major industrial accidents in the 1960s helped president Richard Nixon sign a law creating the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) the next year.
Accurate Energetic Systems faced multiple minor fines from the U.S. Department of Labor in 2019 for violating policies intended to protect workers from exposure to hazardous chemicals, radiation and other irritants, according to citations from OSHA.
In 2014, one person died and at least three people were injured in an explosion at another ammunition facility in the same small area.
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