A blast at a Tennessee explosives factory left multiple people dead Friday morning.

The explosion occurred at Accurate Energetic Systems on the border of Humphreys and Hickman counties, about one hour west of Nashville. Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis announced that there were multiple deaths and multiple persons unaccounted for after the 7:45 a.m. explosion during a Friday press conference.

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“We do have several people at this time that’s unaccounted for,” Davis said. “We do have some folks, we can confirm that we do have some that are deceased.”

Accurate Energetic Systems manufactures explosives and ammunition for the military and commercial markets. It is a small business “dedicated to the development, manufacture, handling, and storage of high-quality energetic products utilized in both defense and commercial markets”, according to its website.

Davis called the incident a “very devastating blast,” according to USA Today. The Hickman County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the explosion occurred Friday morning in its Bucksnort area in a Facebook post.

“Please avoid the area to allow emergency responders to do their work,” the Hickman County Sheriff’s Office posted. “If you are in the area, stay clear and follow the instructions from local authorities.”

The Humphreys County government also confirmed that emergency personnel are responding and “actively managing the situation.” The government asked its community to keep the families of those involved in their prayers in a Facebook post.

“We ask that everyone please avoid sharing speculation, photos, or misinformation,” the Humphreys County government posted. “These are real families in our own community who may be impacted, and they deserve privacy and respect during this time. Please avoid the area to allow responders to work safely and efficiently.”

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“We are closely monitoring the explosion reported in Hickman County this morning and praying for those who are still missing,” Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) wrote on X. “Thank you to the first responders on the scene.”

The Humphreys and Hickman County sheriffs’ departments did not respond to the Washington Examiner‘s requests for comment.