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2w ago

Authorities Release Names of 16 Presumed Dead in Tennessee Explosives Plant Blast

Officials warn the volatile, debris‑strewn site will require a slow, methodical search to determine the cause.

Flowers and flags rest at the entrance to Accurate Energetic Systems after an explosion on Friday, killed 16 people in McEwen, Tenn. Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Christina Williams, right, hugs Tracy Cook during a candlelight vigil honoring the victims of a blast at an explosives plant, Accurate Energetic Systems, Sunday, Oct. 12, 2025, in Waverly, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
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People gather at the Humphreys County Courthouse in Waverly, Tennessee, on Sunday for a candlelight vigil honoring the victims of the explosion.

Overview

  • Sheriffs in Humphreys and Hickman counties publicly read the list of 16 people presumed dead, with formal identifications still underway using rapid DNA testing.
  • ATF’s National Response Team, the FBI and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation are leading a multiagency probe, with officials cautioning the origin-and-cause work could take weeks to months.
  • The scene remains hazardous as technicians conduct controlled detonations to neutralize unstable materials and move recovery operations forward step by step.
  • The blast destroyed a production building at the Accurate Energetic Systems campus, registered as a 1.6 seismic event and scattered evidence across a large area, drawing more than 300 responders.
  • Vigils across the two counties honored the victims as Gov. Bill Lee met with families and surveyed the damage, while schools and local agencies expanded support services for the community.