Search efforts are continuing for 18 missing people more than 24 hours after an explosion rocked an explosives manufacturing plant in Hickman County Oct. 10.
The plant, near McEwen, Tennessee in the Bucksnort area, was reduced to a pile of rubble in the wake of the blast, which occurred at about 7:45 a.m., officials reported.
Plumes of smoke filled the Tennessee skies, and the explosion on the Accurate Energetic Systems campus, about an hour west of Nashville off Interstate 40, was felt miles away.
Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said first responders and state agencies would continue searching the scene through the night.
AES is an explosives manufacturing company founded in 1980. The Oct. 10 explosion was the second in the plant’s history. A deadly explosion was recorded there in 2014.
One of 19 missing located at home
Authorities confirmed they have been able to find one of the missing 19 people, first believed to be at the explosion site, safe at home.
Search efforts are continuing for the remaining 18.
“Investigators are still working to confirm exactly who was at the facility this morning and family notifications are ongoing,” a spokesperson said in an email to The Tennessean.
At the height of (the Oct. 10) response, more than 300 emergency personnel were on scene.
Recovery and investigative work will continue through the weekend. The ATF’s National Response Team is expected to arrive Oct. 11 to join state and local partners in processing the scene, described by officials as “complex.”
Anyone who finds debris that might have come from the explosion is asked to call his or her local sheriff’s office so trained personnel can respond safely, officials noted.
― Craig Shoup, The Tennessean
Manufacturing plant responds
Several hours after the explosion, the company released a statement Oct. 10.
“At approximately 7:45 a.m. this morning, there was a tragic accident at our facility,” the statement read. “Emergency response teams and investigative agencies remain on scene, and the situation is under active investigation.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, coworkers, and community members affected by this incident. We extend our gratitude to all first responders who continue to work tirelessly under difficult conditions.”
―Angele Latham, The Tennessean
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Search continues for 18 missing after Tennessee explosion