Authorities said they found “no survivors” after an explosion rocked a Tennessee explosives plant on Friday. BREAKING: Multiple Fatalities After Deadly Explosion At Explosives Manufacturing Plant, Nearly 20 People Unaccounted For The explosion occurred Friday morning at Accurate Energetic Systems in McEwen, which is approximately 50 miles west of Nashville. The cause of the explosion is under investigation. Chris Davis, sheriff of Humphreys County, said nobody has been found alive after searching the area. “We’re moving to recovery,” Davis said, according to CNN. “At this time, we have recovered no survivors," he added. Update: Officials have confirmed there are no survivors after a devastating explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems, a military munitions factory in rural Tennessee. https://t.co/k6nQ1ZaaWU pic.twitter.com/LZeL1axpsE — GeoTechWar (@geotechwar) October 11, 2025 CNN shared further info: Early Friday, the thundering blast at Accurate Energetic Systems reverberated across a tight-knit community, razing an entire building on the plant’s sprawling campus. At least 18 people were missing after the massive explosion, which rattled homes miles away and rocketed debris for at least half a square mile. The recovery effort was being made “more volatile” with the presence of ordnance at the site, and investigators were working with the FBI to use cell phone technology to figure out what happened at the time of the explosion, Davis said. Melissa Dawn Stanford, a 53-year-old production supervisor at the plant, is believed to have died, her niece, Brittany Kirouac, told CNN in a statement Saturday. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation informed Kirouac they don’t believe her aunt could have survived, she said. “To say our family is devastated is to put it lightly. We are honestly at a loss for words and grief is not linear. In the past 24 hours I have seen: anger, sadness, bargaining, denial, and acceptance,” Kirouac said. "I can tell you that more than 300 people have been through almost every square inch of this facility, and at this time, we've recovered no survivors," Davis added. Officials said they believe there are no survivors among the 18 people still missing after Friday's explosion at a munitions plant in Tennessee. https://t.co/m1wKvCubSB pic.twitter.com/r3CQlAAXbt — ABC News (@ABC) October 11, 2025 More from Fox News: Officials had initially said Friday that there were several deaths, without specifying the number, and that at least 18 people were missing. At Saturday's press conference, Davis also said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations (TBI) was on scene with "rapid DNA" testing to identify the remains of the victims. "We're dealing with explosions. And I would say at this time, we're dealing with remains," Davis added. "Can I say we're going to rule out foul play? We can't answer that. That might be days or weeks or months before we can do that," Davis also said. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) announced Saturday that it deployed an "elite team" Saturday to help investigate the blast site. "ATF’s National Response Team is an elite team comprised of highly trained investigative experts, with state-of-the-art equipment, specializing in explosives, fire and bombing investigations," the agency said in a statement. "The team, which can deploy anywhere in the United States within 24 hours of notification, is made up of special agents, certified explosives specialists, bomb technicians, explosives enforcement officers, fire protection engineers, certified fire investigators, chemists, and other specialists."