Explosion at Tennessee Military Munitions Plant Kills and Injures Several, Others Missing

Emergency response agencies concerned about secondary explosions.

Posted by Leslie Eastman Friday, October 10, 2025 at 03:00pm 1 Comment

A major explosion has occurred at Accurate Energetic Systems (AES), a military explosives manufacturing plant in McEwen, Tennessee. The blast resulted in multiple confirmed fatalities and left several people missing, according to local authorities.

A powerful explosion ripped through a military explosives facility in Tennessee on Friday morning, leaving multiple people dead and missing, officials said. Video from the scene showed damaged vehicles and charred debris scattered around the area.

The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office said that there had been an explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems, a military explosives plant. Emergency services are responding, the office said.

At a news conference, Humphrey County Sheriff Chris Davis said there were several people unaccounted for and some confirmed deaths, but gave no specifics.

“We do have several people at this time unaccounted for. We are trying to be mindful of families and that situation,” Davis said. “We do have some that are deceased.”

NEW: 19 people are feared deceased after a massive explosion erupted at a bomb factory in Tennessee this morning.

According to authorities, an explosion was heard at the Accurate Energetic Systems plant, located 60 miles from Nashville.

19 employees are unaccounted for,… pic.twitter.com/i9pP1Fp0jO

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 10, 2025

At the present time, Humphrey County Emergency Management officials indicate said one person is confirmed dead and at least 19 are missing and that multiple others have been hospitalized.

Unfortunately, it is going to be difficult to immediately evaluate the scale of the disaster, as there is a concern for secondary explosions.

Multiple agencies have responded to the scene and are working to assess and contain the fire but are currently holding back from the immediate area due to a concern over secondary explosions, the agency said.

Residents who live near the facility say they felt the impact of the explosion.

“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside of it,” Gentry Stover told The Associated Press by phone. “I live very close to Accurate and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to have been that.”

Accurate Energetic Systems specializes in making military explosives, according to the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office.

This is video by Cody Warren who lives in Lobelville. That is about 21 miles from the explosion in Bucksnort, TN.

THAT LOUD from 21 miles away (Accurate Energetic Systems in the Bucksnort area in Hickman County, Tennessee.)

The video is from the moment of the explosion and… pic.twitter.com/V6EJOopBLu

— Alma Gentil (@Chinoy200096633) October 10, 2025

AES had undergone a multi-million dollar expansion in 2020, and had recorded a previous explosion incident in 2014.

Accurate Energetic Systems announced in 2020 that it would undergo a $9.7 million expansion, adding 80 new jobs to the area. The expansion included relocating two out-of-state businesses to the area through acquisitions.

AES received a state grant of $601,000 from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development in 2020 to assist with the expansion, according to a state database.

A preliminary investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ National Response Team determined the deadly 2014 blast on Accurate Energetic Systems’ property was accidental.

The explosion occurred at Rio Ammunition in McEwen, about 55 miles west of Nashville. The plant’s parent company, explosives manufacturer Maxam, said the Tennessee plant produced shotgun cartridges, and the blast occurred during the company’s cartridge loading operations.

After announcing the results of the 2014 investigation, an ATF spokesperson said the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration would commence an investigation of its own to determine fault and whether there were any safety violations at the plant. It’s not clear whether TOSHA ever completed that investigation or issued a report.