OFFICIALS have confirmed that no survivors have been found at the site of the deadly Tennessee munitions plant explosion.
The blast at the Accurate Energetic Systems building near Bucksnort, about 50 miles west of Nashville, on Friday left 18 people missing.
SKY 518 people are believed to have died in the blast at the Accurate Energetic Systems factory as officials confirm no survivors have been found[/caption]
The bomb factory was flattened in the blast on FridaySKY 5
Family members gathered outside the plant after the explosionAP
“At this time we have recovered no survivors,” Sheriff Davis from the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office told reporters on Saturday.
Over 300 people have been working to scour the site searching “almost every square inch”, he said.
“It’s a tremendous loss, a great loss to our communities.”
He reiterated that factors at the scene are constantly changing and said, “as we get into this we find it even more devastating than what we thought initially”.
Their findings have left officials “truly devastated”, he tearfully added, noting that the process is slow due to the nature and risks of the site.
Sheriff Davis confirmed that families had been spoken to and asked for them to be kept in prayers and thoughts.
As part of the desperate search for survivors, he noted that officials have been working with the FBI to analyse cell phone data to see which devices pinged in the region at the time of the explosion.
Due to the risk of a secondary blast and burning debris, rescuers and officials were unable to immediately access the munitions site.
Sheriff Craft from the Hickman County Sheriff’s Office added that officials are working hard to support the families of those missing, presumed dead.
An investigation into the cause of the explosion is being led with the help of an elite team deployed by the ATF.
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