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Authorities said several people have died and several more remain unaccounted for Friday following an explosion at a Tennessee explosives manufacturer.
Officials said that “multiple” people were dead after a massive explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems near Bucksnort, located about 50 miles west of Nashville, just before 8 a.m. local time.
“We do have some folks, we can confirm that we do have some that are deceased,” Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis told reporters at a news conference.
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“This is not going to be something that we’re going to be like a car wreck or something like that — that we’re just going to clean up the debris and leave. We’re going to probably be here for a few days,” he added.
An official with Humphrey County Emergency Management said at least 19 are missing and that multiple others have been hospitalized, according to local reports.
Multiple agencies responded to the explosion.
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Residents in Lobelville, not far from the scene, said they felt their homes shake.
The blast rattled Gentry Stover from his sleep.
“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” he told The Associated Press. “I live very close to Accurate and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”
State Rep. Jody Barrett, a Republican from the neighboring town of Dickson, was worried about the possible economic impact because the plant is a key employer in the area.
“We live probably 15 miles as the crow flies, and we absolutely heard it at the house,” Barrett said. “It sounded like something going through the roof of our house.”
The company, according to its website, “is dedicated to the development, manufacture, handling, and storage of high-quality energetic products utilized in both defense and commercial markets.”
Its clients include the Department of War and the Department of Homeland Security, according to the Association of the United States Army.
The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office is asking everyone to avoid the area as emergency responders do their work.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a developing news story. Please check back for updates.
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