Tennessee explosion, Oct. 11 -- At least 19 people remained missing some seven hours after a powerful explosion ripped through a central Tennessee ammunition plant early Friday, rattling residents for miles. Officials said it wasn't yet clear what had caused the blast, which left a fiery debris field. The explosion took place Friday morning at the Accurate Energetic Systems in the Bucksnort area of Tennessee, which is about 60 miles southwest of Nashville.

"There's nothing to describe," Sheriff Chris Davis of Humphreys County, Tenn., replied when asked what remained of the factory. "It's gone." He said the extent of the death toll was unclear but added, "I can tell you we are missing 19 souls right now."

That uncertainty reflects the ch...