HICKMAN COUNTY, Tenn. (WTVF) — The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) has provided new information about the catastrophic explosions at the Accurate Energetic Systems facility in McEwen, Tennessee, on Oct. 10, 2025.
Sixteen workers were killed, and several others were injured when multiple blasts tore through Building 602 at the plant.
Around 7:47 a.m., workers were producing commercial explosive products called cast boosters, which are used to initiate larger blasts in industrial operations.
According to the CSB report, nearly 24,600 pounds of explosive material were inside the building. Investigators estimate 23,000 pounds detonated, with debris scattered more than 700 feet and a blast felt over 20 miles away. The U.S. Geological Survey recorded the explosions as a 1.6-magnitude seismic event.
Building 602 had no sprinkler or fire suppression system. The manufacturing process involved melting explosive mixtures in steam-jacketed kettles and pouring them into tubes to harden, with large amounts of high explosives present throughout the facility.
CSB Chairperson Steve Owens called it “one of the deadliest industrial incidents in our country in years,” adding the agency’s focus is on determining how and why the disaster occurred, as well as discovering ways to prevent it from happening again.
The CSB’s ongoing investigation is examining AES’s safety procedures, equipment design, production processes, and industry guidance for explosives manufacturing. The agency will release final findings and safety recommendations at the conclusion of its probe.
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