(Washington) All 18 missing following the explosion at a munitions factory in the southern United States are presumed dead, the local sheriff said Saturday.
“We can assume at this time that they are dead” since “no survivors have been found,” announced Chris Davis, the sheriff of Humphreys County, Tennessee, during a press conference the day after the disaster.
“Currently, we are identifying the bodies,” he said.
PHOTO OBED LAMY, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Chris Davis, the sheriff of Humphreys County, Tennessee
The explosion occurred around 7:45 a.m. Friday (8:45 a.m. Eastern) and blew out an entire building at the Accurate Energetic Systems factory.
The authorities gave an initial toll of 19 missing before lowering it in the evening.
The site was located near the town of Bucksnort, in a wooded, hilly area away from urban areas, more than 50 miles west of Nashville, the capital of Tennessee.
The debris was projected over an area of 800 m2 around the factory, Chris Davis said Friday, and a team inspected the site to ensure that no chemicals were making the authorities’ work dangerous.
The sheriff refused Saturday to exclude the criminal trail.
“Several days, weeks, even months could pass before we can do that,” he told reporters.
Several federal agencies were dispatched to the scene, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, the sheriff said.
Television images broadcast on Friday notably show a totally devastated building, burning, and vehicles destroyed by the blast of the explosion.
In a statement on its website, Accurate Energetic Systems called it a “tragic accident”.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families, colleagues, and populations affected by this event,” added the company.
The company, founded in 1980, says it “specializes in the development, manufacturing, handling and storage of a wide range of energy sector products and explosives for the military, aerospace and commercial demolition sectors.”
