In Bucksnort, Tennessee, residents 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, said Deacon Danny Bates 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, he added.
Vigil-goer Jerri Newcombe shared her heartbreak, recalling her friend of over 20 years among the victims and the devastation felt in this tight-knit community. They grew up together - we were in each other's homes, she reflected.
The explosion, which struck on Friday morning, shocked the peaceful town, prompting swift action from hundreds of state and national first responders. However, after nearly 48 hours without signs of survivors, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis confirmed a shift to recovery efforts.
At some point, we have got to rip off the Band-Aid... we are dealing with remains, he said. The community's hopes for rescue dwindled as officials reported the tragic reality of the situation.
Investigators are currently looking into the cause of the blast, while local sheriff's departments emphasize the support among residents. This whole community is family, said Tiffany Story, who mourned her cousin among the victims.
In the wake of this tragedy, church leaders praised the community's compassion, emphasizing the unity evident in their time of grief.
