"We no longer expect to find survivors." When Sheriff Chris Davis of Humphreys County, Tennessee, choked up and said this at a press conference, the air seemed to freeze.

On Friday (October 10) morning in the United States, a severe explosion occurred at a firearms factory in Bucksnort, Tennessee, reducing the building to rubble and sending thick smoke rising into the evening. Eighteen workers were missing, and over 300 rescuers searched all night without finding any signs of life.

The Ruins After the Explosion: A Town's Heart Was Torn Out

This disaster happened in the countryside about 90 kilometers from Nashville. The factory involved belonged to Accurate Energetic Systems company (AES), a manufacturer specializing in military explosives and ammunition components. The cause of the accident is still unknown, but the police said the scene was "more tragic than initially imagined."

No survivors, the buildings turned to ashes. Aerial footage showed the entire site destroyed, debris and fragments scattered for half a mile, three vehicles burned to black skeletons, and smoke still rising from the ground.

Justin Stover, a farmer living next to the factory, recalled, "The sound was like the end of the world." My house shook, and the paintings on the walls fell down. It wasn't thunder, it was the scariest explosion I've ever heard in my life."

He initially thought it was an airplane crash, ran outside, and saw thick smoke rising from the AES site. "I've lived here for twenty years, and I know many people who worked there. Now they might be gone," he said.

From Rescue to Body Recovery: The Loss of Hope

After the explosion, large numbers of firefighters and rescue forces arrived from Nashville, Hickman, and Dickson. Firefighters searched through the high-temperature ruins all night, using gas detectors, search dogs, and armored decontamination vehicles simultaneously.

But by Saturday morning, the rescue officially turned into a "body recovery operation." Sheriff Davis choked up and said, "We have done our best. Anyone inside the buildings... we must accept that they may not be alive anymore."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) have also been involved, using a DNA rapid detection system on-site to collect samples to help identify the victims. Sheriff Jason Kraft of a neighboring county said, "Our most important task now is to take care of these families."

The explosion was not the first to occur. In 2014, a fatal accident had already taken place at this site. Ten years later, history repeated itself in a more brutal way.

"That was our only factory" - Collective Grief in a Poor Town

Bucksnort is a town with only a few hundred residents. AES is almost the only employer in the area, with about 80 employees. For the residents, it was not just a source of income, but the economic lifeline of the entire community.

"This explosion has destroyed not only the factory, but the entire community's life."

Stover said, many families in the town had relatives working in the factory, "We know them, their children go to the same school as our children."

Another resident named Lucy Garton recalled, "I was on my way home from work when the whole road was blocked, with police cars, ambulances, and fire trucks crowding the intersection. You had to show identification to pass."

Her husband also knew the workers in the factory. "This place is too small. Everyone knows each other. Life here is simple—go to work, go home, take care of the family. Now many people can't come back home."

The Community's Shock: Faith, Isolation, and Industrial Heritage

The name "Bucksnort" in the dialect of Tennessee means "the place where wild pigs snore." It is quiet, closed, and conservative, typical of a Southern town.

More than a decade ago, the arrival of the defense industry once brought hope to the people—factories brought stable wages and also "dangerous prosperity."

However, when the danger finally erupted, people realized that the cost of industry and life had never been separated. On social media, local residents launched prayer activities, and churches rang bells. Volunteers lit candles at the entrance of the convenience store in the town center and posted photos of the victims.

A wife of a missing worker cried in front of the TV camera. "We just want to know if they are still alive. Last night he was complaining about the noise in the factory, and now the whole factory is gone."

"A Big Bang Shattered the Peace of the Countryside"

The shock wave of the explosion exceeded expectations. Police received reports that residents in towns 25 kilometers away also heard the loud explosion. A woman living 15 miles away told BBC, "My daughter and I were having breakfast when suddenly we heard a gunshot-like explosion. The windows were shaking, and we didn't know what had happened."

The power of the explosion at the time was so great that many people mistakenly thought it was an earthquake. Weather monitoring data showed that the energy released at the moment of the explosion was equivalent to the tremor intensity of a 2.2 magnitude earthquake.

This disaster completely shattered the silence of the southern countryside and exposed the hidden concerns of U.S. local industrial regulation — between high-risk industries and outdated facilities, safety is often the most vulnerable link.

Investigation and Accountability: No One Can Escape the Question Mark

Currently, the FBI and ATF are jointly conducting an investigation to determine the cause of the explosion. Preliminary speculation suggests possible improper storage of chemical raw materials or equipment failure, but the official has not yet disclosed details. AES company announced an "indefinite suspension of operations" and stated in a statement that they "deeply regret the loss of employees and their families."

However, this is not enough to calm the anger. Over the past decade, similar explosions in the U.S. defense industry have occurred dozens of times. Experts point out that such private defense factories are often located in remote areas, with loose supervision and aging facilities. Between profit and risk, local governments often choose to "turn a blind eye," because it means employment and tax revenue.

Now, the local residents have begun to demand a re-examination of the safety standards of this industry and ask, "Who will bear the cost of this time?"

What Was Destroyed Was Not Only the Factory, But Also the Order of Life

The next day after the explosion, the town still smelled of smoke. Journalists on the scene saw a mother standing outside the cordon line, holding her son's ID badge. She did not cry, but just kept looking at the blackened land.

"Yesterday morning, he said 'see you at dinner' when he left, but I haven't even found his shoes yet."

Bucksnort, the town once named "the place where wild pigs snore," now fell into a silent lament. Every household, every house, every prayer here reminds people that when the roar of industry stops, what remains is the quietest sorrow.

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7560077230588690978/

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