Workers who were inside a Tennessee explosives manufacturing plant at the time of a “devastating blast” on Friday are presumed to be dead, authorities announced on Saturday.
“I can tell you that more than 300 people have been through almost every square inch of this facility, and at this time, we’ve recovered no survivors,” Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said during a press conference on Saturday.
The explosion occurred Friday morning at Accurate Energetic Systems in McEwen, located about 50 miles west of Nashville.
Davis said the search has now transitioned into a recovery effort.
“It’s a great loss to our communities,” Davis said while holding back tears. “We are dealing with explosions, and I would say at this time, we’re dealing with remains.”
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Davis said officials are now in the process of identifying the remains.
“As we get into this, we find it more devastating that we thought initially,” he said.
Davis emphasized that the investigation is a “slow, methodical” process due to the nature of the scene and the volatility of the chemicals currently present.
Certified explosive specialists and bomb technicians with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is also at the scene.
Previously, officials stated that 18 people were unaccounted for after the blast, according to a statement from the Humphreys County Emergency Management Agency. On Saturday, officials did not provide a specific number of individuals they have recovered from the scene.
“It’s probably been one of the most devastating situations that I’ve been on in my career,” Davis told reporters Friday.
“I always wish for the best. Is there a possibility that somebody might be injured somewhere, or somebody that we don’t know about? Yes,” he later said regarding the missing individuals.
Four to five people were brought to hospitals, according to the sheriff, who did not detail their injuries.
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Asked to describe the building where the explosion occurred, Davis said, “There’s nothing to describe. It’s gone.”
The sheriff said during an earlier briefing that this is a “very big investigation.”
“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 said.
“We’re trying to take as much time as is needed right now. We’re prioritizing people that are involved, their families and trying to be very compassionate toward them,” he continued.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation.
Accurate Energetic Systems manufactures explosives and energetic devices for the military, aerospace, demolition and mining industries, according to its website.
Its customers include the Defense Department and Homeland Security, according to the Association of the United States Army.
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