Blast at Tennessee military explosives plant leaves multiple people dead or missing

"A huge explosion at a Tennessee military munitions plant on Friday morning has left multiple people dead or missing, according to a county sheriff, as first responders said secondary blasts initially forced rescuers to keep their distance from the burning site. The powerful blast ripped through the explosives manufacturing plant in rural Tennessee on Friday morning, rattling homes miles away and bringing the emergency services dashing to the scene, authorities and residents said."

"The incident happened at Accurate Energetic Systems near the town of Bucksnort, about 60 miles south-west of Nashville, the Hickman county sheriff's office said. The agency asked people in a social media post to avoid the area to allow responders to do their work. Further blasts were initially keeping rescuers at some distance, Hickman county advanced EMT David Stewart told the Associated Press by telephone."

"Some time later on Friday morning, access was achieved and first responders and explosives experts were searching the rubble for casualties and trying to determine what caused the explosion. There were casualties and injuries related to the explosion, but the Tennessee emergency management agency was not yet sharing any numbers early on Friday afternoon because the state department of health hasn't confirmed them, spokesperson Kristin Coulter said by telephone."

A huge explosion destroyed part of a military munitions manufacturing plant near Bucksnort, Tennessee, early Friday morning, producing powerful blasts that rattled homes miles away. Secondary explosions initially forced rescuers to maintain distance from the burning site before explosives experts later gained access to search the rubble. Multiple people were reported dead or missing, and there were injuries, though official casualty numbers had not been confirmed by state health authorities. Local sheriffs said several people remained unaccounted for and that some were deceased. Accurate Energetic Systems did not immediately respond to requests for comment and the cause of the explosion remains unknown.

Read at www.theguardian.com