McEWEN, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities on Monday identified the 16 people killed in a devastating blast at a rural Tennessee explosives plant last week, as investigators promised a painstaking process to figure out what happened by tracking down pieces of evidence that may now be miles apart.
At a news conference, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said people in the tight-knit community probably at least knew relatives of the victims killed in the explosion Friday at the plant owned by Accurate Energetic Systems. The company supplies and researches explosives for the military and is a well-known employer in the area.
“It’s just small county, rural America, where everybody knows each other and everybody’s gonna take care of each other,” Davis said.
Victims mourned
Even as people turned to Sunday worship services to process their grief, one congregation was mourning the loss of their pastor in the explosion.