In Bucksnort, Tennessee, residents have spent a chilly autumn night heeding a simple message spraypainted on a concrete barrier by the side of the road: Pray for the AES families. Community members gathered on Saturday for a candlelit vigil outside the Maple Valley Baptist Church after a blast at local explosives factory Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) left 16 people presumed dead.
This community of Hickman and Humphreys Counties is not huge, so that's a lot of people to lose in an instant, Deacon Danny Bates said to the approximately 40 attendees, who comforted each other and sang hymns such as It Is Well With My Soul.
It was just another day at work, and then in an instant, they were gone. We have unanswered questions.
Vigil-goer Jerri Newcombe said her friend of more than 20 years was among the victims. The two met when Newcombe's granddaughter and the victim's daughter became close as little girls. They grew up together - we were in each other's homes, Newcombe told the BBC. It’s just surreal, because she’s gone and her babies are hurting, she said, referring to the victim's children and grandchildren.
Local police have not publicly identified any of the unaccounted-for victims, who authorities presume have all been killed. Her friend was full of life, Ms. Newcombe said. She was the type of person that could make you laugh over anything, but you didn't cross her either, or she would tear into you, she added amid tears and laughter.
Bucksnort is a close-knit town where cell service is spotty and a gas station - adorned with a Confederate flag centrepiece - is the local watering hole, residents say. This tragedy has hit the area hard as the community mourns family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.
The town had been holding out hope for good news after the explosion on Friday morning shook homes across the area, clouded the skies with smoke, and drew a surge of hundreds of state and national first responders to an otherwise sleepy community tucked behind forests along a busy motorway.
After nearly two days with no sign of survivors and the explosion site still considered dangerous, the local sheriff stated it was time to switch to a recovery strategy.
At some point in time, we have got to rip off the Band-Aid, Sheriff Chris Davis said, sharing the emotional toll the tragedy has taken.
The cause of the blast has yet to be identified, with federal investigators engaged in a thorough investigation. The hazardous nature of the materials involved complicates ongoing recovery efforts, including required controlled detonations to ensure safety.
As the community grapples with this profound loss, residents find solace in coming together, demonstrating the close bonds that define their small town.
This community of Hickman and Humphreys Counties is not huge, so that's a lot of people to lose in an instant, Deacon Danny Bates said to the approximately 40 attendees, who comforted each other and sang hymns such as It Is Well With My Soul.
It was just another day at work, and then in an instant, they were gone. We have unanswered questions.
Vigil-goer Jerri Newcombe said her friend of more than 20 years was among the victims. The two met when Newcombe's granddaughter and the victim's daughter became close as little girls. They grew up together - we were in each other's homes, Newcombe told the BBC. It’s just surreal, because she’s gone and her babies are hurting, she said, referring to the victim's children and grandchildren.
Local police have not publicly identified any of the unaccounted-for victims, who authorities presume have all been killed. Her friend was full of life, Ms. Newcombe said. She was the type of person that could make you laugh over anything, but you didn't cross her either, or she would tear into you, she added amid tears and laughter.
Bucksnort is a close-knit town where cell service is spotty and a gas station - adorned with a Confederate flag centrepiece - is the local watering hole, residents say. This tragedy has hit the area hard as the community mourns family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers.
The town had been holding out hope for good news after the explosion on Friday morning shook homes across the area, clouded the skies with smoke, and drew a surge of hundreds of state and national first responders to an otherwise sleepy community tucked behind forests along a busy motorway.
After nearly two days with no sign of survivors and the explosion site still considered dangerous, the local sheriff stated it was time to switch to a recovery strategy.
At some point in time, we have got to rip off the Band-Aid, Sheriff Chris Davis said, sharing the emotional toll the tragedy has taken.
The cause of the blast has yet to be identified, with federal investigators engaged in a thorough investigation. The hazardous nature of the materials involved complicates ongoing recovery efforts, including required controlled detonations to ensure safety.
As the community grapples with this profound loss, residents find solace in coming together, demonstrating the close bonds that define their small town.
