A powerful explosion tore through a military munitions plant in rural
Tennessee on Friday, leaving 19 people missing and feared dead, authorities said. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis called the scene “devastating,” noting that officials were still notifying families. He referred to the missing as “souls,” and declined to give a confirmed death toll while searches continued.
The blast erupted at Accurate Energetic Systems (AES), a manufacturer and tester of military explosives, at its eight-building complex in the Bucksnort area, about 60 miles (97 km) southwest of Nashville. Residents reported hearing and feeling the explosion miles away.
Aerial footage broadcast by WTVF-TV showed a hilltop structure at the facility obliterated, with smoldering debris and burned-out vehicles scattered across the site.
The cause of the explosion remains under investigation and could take days to determine, Sheriff Davis said. There was no further danger of additional explosions and the scene was under control Friday afternoon, according to Grey Collier with the Humphreys County Emergency Management Agency.
Photo: Smoke and debris after the blast at the AES plant in Hickman County, Tenn., Friday, Oct. 10, 2025.
