No survivors are expected to be found after a major explosion at a Tennessee munitions factory on Friday that has left 18 people unaccounted for.
Recovery teams are still clinging to hope of finding any of the missing alive, but assume they are deceased, said Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis.
As we get into this, we find it even more devastating than we thought initially, he told a news conference.
It's still unclear what caused the explosion at the plant in Bucksnort, Tennessee - roughly 56 miles (90km) south-west of Nashville. The facility specializes in the development and manufacture of explosives.
Video footage taken on Friday showed fires still burning, charred vehicles, and smoke rising from the razed building. Officials said debris was scattered for half a mile around where the building once stood.
Accurate Energetic Systems (AES), which runs the plant, has suspended its operations.
More than 300 state and local first responders have been searching the site since Friday morning, Sheriff Davis said on Saturday.
The expectation of anyone who's inside of that building… we can assume that they are deceased, he told media.
By Saturday morning, the rescue mission had shifted to a recovery operation, said a visibly choked-up Davis.
The FBI is also at the scene conducting rapid DNA tests to identify victims and notify families.
Ann Myers was woken from her sleep by the explosion on Friday morning and feared for the safety of her four children. Residents in the area experienced shaking and loud noises, fearing it was a tornado or an accident.
Local resident Justin Stover described the experience as terrifying, stating that it felt like a plane crash. He is still assessing damage to his property.
The tragedy profoundly impacts the small community, which heavily relies on AES for employment. Many local families are connected to the facility, making the loss deeply felt across the entire community.
