A massive explosion ripped through a military explosives manufacturing plant in rural Tennessee early Friday morning, leaving multiple people dead, several injured, and at least 19 workers unaccounted for.
The blast occurred around 7:50 a.m. at the Accurate Energetic Systems facility, located about 60 miles southwest of Nashville near the small community of Bucksnort in Hickman County. The plant produces high-grade explosives used in defense, aerospace, and demolition industries.
Authorities confirmed “multiple fatalities” and ongoing search efforts for missing employees as emergency crews battled fires and worked to secure the site. Officials warned that the risk of secondary explosions remains high.
“Right now, we’re prioritizing the people involved, their families, and trying to be very compassionate toward them,” Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said.
Residents reported hearing and feeling the explosion from as far as 40 miles away. “It shook the whole house,” said Beyonica Holt, a local resident. “I thought we were at war.”
The Tennessee Department of Transportation temporarily closed nearby State Route 230, while the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and local authorities launched an investigation.
This is not the first tragedy at the site. In 2014, an explosion at the same facility killed one person and injured three others. The plant, which sits on 1,300 acres, contains multiple production and storage buildings for explosives, and has long been considered a high-risk industrial site.
Officials expect the investigation into Friday’s explosion to take several days as emergency responders continue to search the debris.
In the wake of the tragedy, Catholic leaders and faithful across the country are urging prayers for the victims, their families, and the first responders risking their lives at the scene.
“We pray for the souls of those who lost their lives and for the families waiting in anguish for word of their loved ones,” a statement from Your Catholic Voice Foundation read. “May Christ, who is our Light in the darkness, bring comfort and strength to all affected.”
The faithful are encouraged to light a prayer candle in memory of the victims and for the safety of those still missing.
“Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May their souls, and the souls of all the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.”
Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates said his office received dozens of calls from residents reporting the blast. “It’s an unfortunate incident. It was felt around our county,” he said. “We just pray that the good Lord keeps His hand on the families that are involved.”
Emergency crews from multiple counties remain on site. As investigations continue, Tennessee officials have asked the public to keep the victims, the missing, and their loved ones in prayer.
“Keep everyone in your prayers as we go through this,” said Hickman County Sheriff Jason Craft.
You can light a virtual prayer candle for the victims of the Tennessee explosion — for those lost, injured, and still missing — at Catholic Online Prayer Candles.
🕯️ “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” — John 1:5
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