WASHINGTON — An explosion at a Tennessee military munitions plant left multiple people dead and missing on Friday, a county sheriff said, as first responders said secondary blasts forced rescuers to keep their distance from the burning site.

The explosion happened at near the town of Bucksnort, about 60 miles southwest of Nashville, the Hickman County Sheriff’s Office said. The agency asked people in a social media post to avoid the area to allow responders to do their work.

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis confirmed in a news conference on Friday that there was a "very devastating blast" around 7:45 a.m. local time. Davis said the explosion destroyed an entire building at the facilities.

Davis confirmed Friday afternoon that there were fatalities and that 19 people were unaccounted

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