McEWEN, Tenn. (Echosphere News) – A powerful blast ripped through a military explosives manufacturing plant in rural Tennessee on Friday morning, rattling homes miles away and bringing emergency responders to the scene, authorities and residents said.
The explosion happened at Accurate Energetic Systems near the town of Bucksnort, about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Nashville. The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office requested people to avoid the area to allow responders to do their work.
Emergency responders were unable to enter the facility immediately due to ongoing explosions, as confirmed by Hickman County Advanced EMT David Stewart. There were no updates regarding potential injuries at the time.
Video footage from the scene depicted a burning debris field with thick smoke billowing into the air. Local news outlets relayed images of debris scattered across the facility, including damaged vehicles in the parking lot. Many residents from the wider area reported feeling an earth-shaking explosion.
“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” recalled Gentry Stover, a nearby resident, explaining he woke up in shock from the blast. “I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”
This event serves as a stark reminder of the dangers associated with explosives manufacturing and the potential risks posed to surrounding communities as demonstrated by the residents in Lobelville, who recounted feeling their homes shake from the force of the explosion.
