A blast that levelled an explosives plant in rural Tennessee has left nineteen people missing and feared dead, authorities said.

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis described the explosion at Accurate Energetic Systems, a supplier for the military, as one of the most harrowing scenes he has ever witnessed. While he confirmed that several people had died, he refrained from specifying the number, instead referring to the nineteen missing as “souls” since officials were in the process of contacting their families.

“There’s nothing to describe. It’s gone,” Davis said of the plant.

The blast rattled Gentry Stover from his sleep.

“I thought my house had caved in around me,” he said during a phone call. “I live very near to Accurate, and about thirty seconds after regaining my senses, I realized that it must have been the cause.”

State Representative Jody Barrett, a Republican from the neighboring town of Dickson, expressed his concern about the potential economic consequences, given that the plant is a significant employer in the region.

“We live probably 15 miles (24km) as the crow flies and we absolutely heard it at the house,” Barrett said.

“It sounded like something going through the roof of our house.”