Satellite image shows devastation of bomb factory blast as cops confirm 18 dead and plant’s dark past revealed
A satellite image has shown the devastating consequences of an explosion at an explosives factory in Tennessee, with police confirming there were “no survivors”.
18 people were missing following an explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems facility at around 7.50am local time on Friday, but police confirmed at a press conference on Saturday that they were now searching for remains.
Humphreys County sheriff Chris Davis He said: ‘We could probably hypothesize – and I won’t even use the word hypothesize – I think we could – I mean, I have to use the word, excuse me – we could assume they were dead.’
Added Davis: ‘As we get into this, we see that it is more destructive than we initially thought.’
The Humphreys County sheriff did not rule out the possibility of an attack and said the investigation into the source of the explosion “could take days, weeks or months” to conclude.
The eight-building bomb factory covers 1,300 acres in Bucksnort.
It was the second explosion in 12 years at the explosives factory, about an hour southwest of Nashville.
In April 2014, an explosion at a rural Tennessee facility killed Rodney Edwards and injured four others.
A satellite image showed the devastating consequences of an explosion at an explosives factory in Tennessee
Accurate Energy Systems facility before the explosion
At the time, the Humphreys County Sheriff said the fatal incident occurred in an area where shotgun ammunition was stored.
Edwards’ widow, Kathryn, told WSMV Her husband Rodney ‘worked seven days a week’ and ‘went whenever he was called.’
Joey Clark was also seriously injured in the explosion, which caused two fires in the area operated by Rio Ammunition. Clark lost his left eye and two fingers in the explosion.
He said: ‘I was walking towards the door which was on fire.
‘I stopped to pick up Rodney. I was going to turn my back. I thought you were behind me.
‘Thinking about that, that pause probably saved my life.’
An “expensive and dangerous fire” broke out at the facility five years ago, according to court records. from tennessee.
James Creech, an employee in the company’s maintenance department who maintained and completed quality control testing of boilers at the McEwen facility, filed a lawsuit after he was terminated due to the fires.
The explosion occurred at the Accurate Energetic Systems facility at around 07.50 local time on Friday.
The explosion occurred in Bucksnort, about an hour southwest of Nashville.
The company alleged on October 30, 2020 that Creech’s “failure to perform his job duties in a responsible manner contributed to a costly and dangerous fire.”
Creech’s attorneys said he “was never interviewed regarding the fire, his actions, or the deficiencies in the building and/or construction materials that caused the fire.”
The case was resolved after mediation.
One year ago Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration inspected After two employees at the factory suffered ‘seizure events’ before their shift that day, and a third employee suffered a seizure at home the same morning.
The audit found five employees suffered ‘central nervous system disorders’ and were exposed to the potentially toxic chemical cyclonide.
Accurate Energetic Systems disputed the ‘serious’ violations found and filed a lawsuit against the Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
public records obtained by Associated Press It showed that Accurate Energetic Systems sold many types of weapons to the US military, including dynamite and land mines.
Humphreys County sheriff says investigation ‘could take days, weeks or months’ to conclude
Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said at a news conference on Saturday that there were “no survivors” from Friday’s explosion.
Company uses ‘state-of-the-art’ rural Tennessee campus to test explosives. website.
Accurate Energetic Systems had a message on its website regarding Friday’s explosion: ‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, co-workers and community members affected by this incident. We express our gratitude to all first responders who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions.’
