Multiple dead, missing as blast rocks US explosives plant
Smoke fills the air as debris covers the ground and vehicles after a powerful blast ripped through a military explosives manufacturing plant in Hickman County, Tenn., on Friday, Oct 10, 2025. (Photo: WTVF-TV via AP)
WASHINGTON: Multiple people were dead or missing after a massive blast rocked a US explosives factory Friday (Oct 10), sending emergency responders rushing to the site and prompting official warnings for the public to avoid the area, authorities said.
"We can confirm there has been an explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems in the Bucksnort area," located in Hickman County, Tennessee, the local sheriff's office wrote on Facebook.
"Emergency services are currently on the scene working to address the situation," it added.
The mayor's office in Hickman County told AFP that it could not immediately confirm any fatalities or the cause of the explosion.
"VERY DEVASTATING BLAST"
But Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis reported "some" fatalities and added that several people were missing in the "very devastating blast" that engulfed an entire building at the facility.
"We do have several people at this time that's unaccounted for. We are trying to be mindful of families and that situation," Davis said.
"We do have some that are deceased. But we're going to go back and, like I say, talk to these families, notify these families."
Davis said authorities had secured the area, but warned of the possibility of smaller explosions around the site.
The manufacturing plant is owned by a company that manufactures, stores and researches explosives for the military, aerospace, and commercial demolition industries, according to the company’s website.
Public records show that Accurate Energetic Systems has been awarded numerous military contracts going back years to manufacture different types of munitions and explosives.
The contracts, which were awarded largely by the US Army and Navy, were for a variety of products that ranged from bulk explosives to landmines and small breaching charges.
The company also uses the sprawling campus to test explosives, according to its website, measuring the velocity of explosions as well as their impact on surrounding areas under different conditions. The website noted that it “rigorously adheres to the stringent security standards” of defense department security and safety protocols.
Officials at the Pentagon said that they were aware of the reports and were looking into the situation.
