In Bucksnort, Tennessee, residents have 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, Deacon Danny Bates said 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.
Vigil-goer Jerri Newcombe said her friend of more than 20 years was among the victims. The two met when Newcombe's granddaughter and the victim's daughter became close as little girls.
Her friend was full of life, Ms Newcombe said. It's just surreal, because she's gone and her babies are hurting.
Local police have not publicly identified any of the unaccounted-for victims, who authorities presume have all been killed.
Bucksnort is a close-knit town where the cell service is spotty and a gas station is the local watering hole, residents say. This tragedy has hit the area hard as the community mourns family, friends, neighbours and coworkers.
The factory has seen other difficulties, including a previous explosion that killed one person in 2014. However, residents mostly speak positively about the factory, which provided vital employment in a rural area.
Sheriff Chris Davis spoke somberly about the transition from rescue efforts to recovery, indicating that after two days of searching, it was time to notify families of the likelihood that their loved ones were deceased.
Amid the grief, community leaders highlighted the importance of unity and support in the face of adversity, noting that the town would come together to care for one another as they navigate this tragedy.
