There were no survivors in the blast that obliterated part of an explosives factory in rural Tennessee, authorities said on Saturday.
The families of 18 people had been waiting anxiously on Saturday as their loved ones had been feared dead since explosions ripped through the plant near McEwen in western Tennessee early on Friday. The initial toll had been believed to be 19 people but that figure was later revised.
The Humphreys county sheriff, Chris Davis, spoke to the public and media early on Saturday afternoon and revealed that the authorities are assuming that anybody who was inside the building that exploded the day before is deceased.
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The incident occurred at Accurate Energetic Systems near the town of Bucksnort, about 60 miles (95km) south-west of Nashville.
Davis said the tragedy was even “more devastating” than had been thought. In the close-knit community, he and other members of law enforcement and many in the community know people who were victims of the disaster.
The cause of the explosion is being investigated.
The Associated Press contributed reporting