Nineteen people are unaccounted for after an Oct. 10 explosion at an explosive manufacturing plant in Tennessee.

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis initially said some people had died in the blast, later telling reporters that 19 people were missing in wake of the explosion that occurred at 7:45 a.m. on Oct. 10, calling it a “very devastating blast."

The Hickman County Sheriff's Office confirmed in a social media post that the incident occurred at Accurate Energetic Systems in the Bucksnort area. The plant is about 60 miles west of Nashville.

When asked by the media to describe the building where the blast occurred, Davis said: "There's nothing to describe. It's gone," Reuters reported.

A cause of the explosion was not immediately clear.

Davis added that the scene was secure, but cautioned that small explosions around the scene remain possible. He said no more massive explosions are expected.

What is Accurate Energetic Systems? Facility has history of safety violations

Accurate Energetic Systems, established in 1980, is a manufacturer that specializes in the creation of high-grade explosives for demolition, according to its website. The company makes products ranging from "linear shaped charges to claymore mines."

The facility had previously committed several safety violations that left multiple employees with symptoms including seizures, according to a report from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development obtained by The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY Network.

The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration conducted an inspection of Accurate Energetic Systems’ facility in McEwen in April 2019, after two employees experienced “seizure events” on site before beginning their shifts for the day — and another employee experienced a seizure at home the same morning.

They’d all been working in the facility’s “Hot House” the day prior, according to the report, drying and screening the powdered explosive cyclonite. The subsequent TOSHA inspection revealed that five employees had experienced “central nervous system impairment” and had been potentially exposed to the toxic chemical through inhalation, ingestion and absorption through the skin.

Air monitoring confirmed that employees likely weren’t exposed to cyclonite through inhalation, but the inspection confirmed that employees weren’t adequately protected from exposure to cyclonite through either ingestion or skin absorption.

Ultimately, the inspection resulted in five "serious" violations − but within years, they'd be dialed back or eliminated from the record entirely, ultimately culminating in a settlement between Accurate Energetic Systems and Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The facility sits on 1,300 acres and consists of eight production buildings and a quality control lab. It was at the center of a previous investigation after an explosion on April 16, 2014, that left one dead and three injured, The Tennessean reported.

Public urged to stay away from area

Soon after the explosion, the sheriff's office announced that emergency services were currently on the scene working to address the situation. In the meantime, the department has asked people to "please avoid the area to allow emergency responders to do their work."

"If you are in the area, stay clear and follow the instructions from local authorities," the sheriff's office said, adding that people should minimize non-emergency calls to law enforcement as they handle the situation at hand.

The sheriff's office also asked the public not to "post anything about missing or any type of status of personnel."

Hickman County mayor awaits more information

Hickman County Mayor Jim Bates told The Tennessean just after 10:30 a.m. that his office has received several calls from residents who reported feeling the ground shake with plumes of smoke coming from the scene.

"It's an unfortunate incident," Bates said. "It was felt around our county."

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn also said in an X post that she and her office "are closely monitoring the explosion reported in Hickman County this morning and praying for those who are still missing."

USA TODAY contacted Accurate Energetic Systems on Friday, Oct. 10, but has not received a response.

Contributing: Kirsten Fiscus, Vivian Jones & Craig Shoup/ Nashville Tennessean & Reuters

This is a developing story.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 19 missing, deaths confirmed as explosion rocks manufacturing plant in Tennessee

Reporting by Jonathan Limehouse and Austin Hornbostel, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect