Une explosion dans une usine aux États-Unis fait 19 disparus

At least 19 people are still missing after a massive explosion destroyed a factory in the southern US on Friday morning, the cause of which local authorities say remains unknown.

“We can confirm at this time that we are looking for 19 people,” Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said at a news conference on the explosion that leveled the Accurate Energetic Systems plant in Tennessee.

The accident occurred around 7:45 a.m. Friday (1245 GMT) and destroyed the entire building.




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The sheriff said debris was scattered over an area of ​​800 square meters around the plant, and a team inspected the area to ensure no chemicals were making the authorities' work unsafe.

“I can tell you that there are deaths,” Chris Davis continued, without giving numbers. “Is there a possibility that someone somewhere is injured or someone we haven’t heard from?” Yes,” he said.

Authorities were unable to answer questions about the number of officers present at the time of the explosion or the number of people taken to hospital, saying they were focused on securing the area.




Screenshot TVA News

This plant is located near Bucksnort, in a wooded and hilly area away from urban areas, more than 50 miles west of Nashville, the capital of Tennessee, on the border of Humphreys and Hickman counties.

“We are monitoring the situation in Hickman County and state agencies are working with local and federal agencies. We ask Tennesseans to join us in praying for the families affected by this tragic accident,” the state's Republican governor responded to X.

Avoid this place

Several federal agencies are on the scene, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI, the sheriff said.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families (…). We are trying to understand the reason for this,” added Chris Davis.




Screenshot | CNN

The Hickman County Sheriff's Office said on Facebook that there was an explosion at the plant, that emergency services were on the scene and that residents should avoid the area.

Television footage shown on Friday showed, among other things, a completely destroyed building, a burning building and vehicles destroyed by the explosion.

The mayor's office, contacted by AFP, was unable to immediately provide a casualty report or explain the cause of the explosion.

Neat Energy Systems did not immediately respond to AFP queries.

On its website, the company, founded in 1980, says it “specializes in the development, production, handling and storage of a wide range of energy products and explosives for the military, aerospace and commercial demolition markets.”

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