There are no survivors of an explosion at a military munitions plant in the US state of Tennessee on Friday, officials said Saturday.
“There’s a flood of emotions out there,” Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said during a news conference. he said in a trembling voice, pausing to clear his throat before praying for the families of the victims.
“We have not been able to rescue any survivors,” he said, without giving any specific details about the people who were unidentified at the time of Friday’s blast.
Davis said about 300 responders were working in a “slow, methodical manner” as they dealt with explosive material that has been damaged and remains unstable.
To protect first responders, an ambulance and a helicopter, used for air evacuation, were brought in.
“It’s not like dealing with an accident. It’s not like dealing with a tornado. We’re dealing with explosions. And I would say that at this point, we’re dealing with debris,” he said.
The cause of the explosion is not yet known and the sheriff previously said the investigation could take several days.
What to know about the Tennessee plant explosion?
The explosion occurred Friday at a plant operated by Accurate Energetic Systems in Hickman County, with officials saying at least 18 people were missing at the plant.
The company manufactures and tests explosives in a building near Bucksnort, a city about 60 miles (97 kilometers) southwest of Nashville, according to its website. The site is located roughly between Hickman and Humphreys counties.
Officials earlier told the Associated Press news agency that secondary explosions kept rescue services away from the burning site.
The Sheriff’s Office called on the public to stay away from the area to allow rescue workers to do their work.
Edited by: Sam Dusan Inayatullah