A massive blast at a Tennessee explosives plant killed 16 people, leveled the building, and was felt more than 20 miles away. Authorities said Friday that the explosion began in an area where workers used kettles to produce a mixture of explosives and set off other explosives stored nearby.
Investigators still haven’t been able to identify the remains of two of the victims killed in the Oct. 10 explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems factory in Bucksnort, an unincorporated community about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Nashville, officials said at a news conference.
The delicate investigation at the plant site has concluded, but determining the cause could take several more months, said Brice McCracken, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) special agent in charge at the National Center for Explosives Training and Research.
In addition to locating victims’ remains, the on-site work involved removing and disposing of explosives that didn’t detonate in the blast. The next phase of the investigation will focus on ATF labs and testing facilities, where investigators will try to determine what triggered the explosion, said Jamey VanVliet, ATF special agent in charge in the Nashville division.
“Those results don’t come quickly,” VanVliet said. “They come through time, care, and precision. And that’s what this community deserves: answers that are proven, not guessed.”
### Explosion Details
Authorities said between 24,000 to 28,000 pounds of explosives detonated that day. The blast originated on the 15,000-square-foot plant’s first floor, near kettles used in the production of an explosive mixture for the commercial mining industry, McCracken explained.
The building was primarily used to manufacture explosives known as cast boosters, typically a mixture of TNT and RDX (also called cyclonite). These explosives are poured by hand into cardboard tubes.
Explosives were mixed in kettles located on the mezzanine level before being pumped into heating kettles on the main floor. “Everything is mixed up top and then it pumps down into the lower floor, where it stays heated,” McCracken said. “Then they’re able to pull it out in a pitcher and each cast is hand-poured into the cardboard tube.”
The main floor also stored explosives near a loading dock, and cast boosters were cooled there before packaging. After the initial explosion in the production kettles, investigators believe other explosive materials stored on the main floor also detonated.
During the investigation, authorities searched an area of about 500 acres (200 hectares), much of it densely wooded, looking for evidence. The scene was turned back over to the company on Thursday, McCracken said.
### Impact and Site Description
The blast, which was felt more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) away, left a smoldering wreck of twisted metal and burned-out vehicles at the factory. Authorities confirmed there were no survivors at the blast site.
Items pertinent to the investigation were found more than half a mile away, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said.
Accurate Energetic Systems employs about 150 people and operates a sprawling complex in rural central Tennessee with eight specialized production buildings and a lab. The facility straddles the Hickman and Humphreys county line in unincorporated Bucksnort, approximately 60 miles southwest of Nashville.
Headquartered in nearby McEwen, the company serves customers in the aerospace, defense, demolition, and mining industries. It has been awarded numerous military contracts, primarily from the U.S. Army and Navy, to supply various types of munitions and explosives.
Its products range from bulk explosives to landmines and small breaching charges, including C-4.
### Company Statement and Community Support
In a statement released Friday, Accurate Energetic Systems CEO Wendell Stinson said the company is “continuing to support investigators and is under obligation to preserve the site for a to-be-determined period of time,” anticipating that the investigation may require “many months” and possibly more on-site reviews.
The company has also started a fund with a local community foundation to help solicit donations to support families affected by the tragedy.
### Victims and Lawsuit
The explosion killed people ranging in age from 21 to 60. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has positively identified 14 of the 16 victims using rapid DNA testing. Given the scene’s severity, TBI Director David Rausch said officials had initially expected to identify only 40% to 50% of the victims, so the progress has been better than anticipated.
Officials have named all 16 victims, but tests to identify the final two remain ongoing, Davis said. The sheriff expressed the emotional toll the tragedy has taken on the victims’ families.
“There’s not enough words in the dictionary that we could use to describe those feelings or emotions,” Davis said.
Last week, a lawsuit was filed in state court on behalf of the 9-year-old daughter of Jeremy Moore, one of those killed in the blast.
The lawsuit names AAC Investments LLC, a company closely tied to Accurate Energetic Systems, claiming that AAC was the owner, operator, and manager of the factory. It alleges the explosion occurred because AAC failed to maintain a “reasonably safe factory” for explosive work.
Jeremy Moore, 37, cherished spending time with and supporting his daughter at cheerleading, softball, or any adventure she sought, according to his obituary.
Lee Coleman, the attorney representing Moore’s family, said the complaint could be amended as more details become available and that additional defendants might be added.
A company spokesperson declined to comment on the lawsuit.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/24/us-news/tennessee-factory-explosion-that-left-16-dead-was-a-chain-reaction-felt-20-miles-away/