Washington: A massive explosion at an explosives factory in Tennessee has killed 16 people, authorities said on Saturday, after revising the toll downwards when two people previously reported missing and presumed dead were found alive.

The blast occurred on Friday in the town of Bucksnort, at a factory owned by Accurate Energetic Systems, a company that produces explosives for both military and demolition purposes.

What damage did the explosion cause?

The explosion destroyed an entire building at the plant’s large campus, shook homes miles away, and sent debris flying, according to news reports.

After initially reporting 18 people presumed dead, Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said, “We have been able to locate and determine the two other folks (were) not on the site.”

Their vehicle and personal belongings were discovered at the scene, leading to the earlier belief that they were among the victims.

In a statement, Accurate Energetic Systems described the blast as “a tragic accident.”

What do investigators know so far?

Brice McCracken, an official from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, told reporters late Saturday that authorities “are not any closer today to determining the origin and cause of this explosion.”

Earlier in the day, Sheriff Davis said, “Can I say we’re going to rule out foul play? We can’t answer that. That might be days or weeks or months before we can do that.”

Davis explained that investigators were carefully processing the blast site “one foot at a time,” calling in bomb technicians whenever there was any perceived danger.

DNA testing will be used to identify the remains.