In McEwen, Tennessee, authorities are now confirming 16 people died in a massive explosion at a Tennessee explosives plant in the community of Bucksnort Friday.
The confirmed number of fatalities comes after authorities first said Friday that 19 people were missing. But that number went down to 16 Saturday after the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency reported that three people “previously believed to be on site were alive and not at the facility at the time of the explosion.
The catastrophic explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems has stunned what local leaders describe as a tight-knit and small community.
Greene County born Tim Ferris, who once pastored locally, is now the Senior Pastor at Hurricane Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in McEwen.
REV. TIM FARRIS
Ferris says it’s a community that has been through a lot of tragedy this decade, with 20 people losing their lives during flooding in 2021.
REV. TIM FARRIS
Hurricane Chapel Free Will Baptist hosted a vigil Saturday for the community.
Governor Bill Lee visited the site on Sunday, saying it could take months for federal authorities to determine and disclose the cause of the blast.
