Several people are reported dead and several others are missing after an explosion at a military explosives manufacturing facility in Tennessee, CNN reported.
“We have several people, we can confirm that we have several who are deceased,” said local police chief Chris Davis at a news conference on Friday.
A Hickman County emergency services official said the agency could not confirm “the extent of the damage or injuries,” he said in a phone call earlier.
Several state agencies have arrived at the scene and are working to assess and contain the fire, but are initially staying away due to concerns about secondary explosions, emergency services said.
Residents living near the facility where the explosion occurred said they saw the aftermath.
“I thought the house had collapsed with me inside. I live very close to it and I realized about 30 seconds after I woke up that it had to be her,” Gentry Stover told the Associated Press by phone.
The company, Accurate Energetic Systems, specializes in manufacturing military explosive devices, according to the local police office.
