No survivors found after explosives factory explodes in Tennessee News

Officials say operations are shifting from rescue to recovery as no survivors are expected.

Investigators do not expect to find any survivors at the scene of the explosion at an explosives company in Tennessee, officials said.

The explosion was felt miles away Destroyed a building at Accurate Energetic Systems headquarters early Friday in Bucksnort, about an hour’s drive west of Nashville.

“Over 300 people have passed through almost every square inch of this facility, and at this time, we have not been able to recover any survivors,” Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis told reporters Saturday. “It is a huge loss to our communities.”

Officials did not provide a specific death toll, but previously said 18 people were missing. Davis confirmed that the operation had shifted from rescue to resuscitation and that investigators would use DNA testing to confirm the identities of the dead.

The factory manufactured explosives for military and demolition purposes.

Investigators, including agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are still working to determine the cause of the explosion, officials said. The presence of explosives and other munitions on the property made the search at the scene complicated.

In a statement, the company described the explosion as a “tragic accident.”

Davis said it could take days, weeks or even months before foul play is ruled out.