A Tennessee sheriff who was asked to describe the scene of the blast at a remote explosives facility on Friday said, "It's gone" as 19 people remain missing.

"There's nothing to describe. It's gone. It's the most devastating scene I've seen in my career," Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said.

Authorities are still reaching out to families of the 19 missing, who are feared dead, The Associated Press reports.

The Accurate Energetic Systems (AES) facility in Bucksnort, Tennessee, exploded early Friday. The company produces and stores explosives, including demolition kits and products used by the military and aerospace industry, according to its website.

The cause of the explosion is unknown. The investigation is expected to take several days.