Investigators from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), a lead agency in the investigation of the deadly explosion at the Accurate Energetic Systems plant in McEwen, Tennessee, have completed processing the scene where sixteen lives were lost.

The ATF announced that their three-tiered effort—removing remaining explosives, recovering human remains, and collecting evidence—has been finalized. The explosion, which occurred in the lower level of the building where TNT is mixed in melting pots, has not yet had its cause determined, and the ATF is refraining from speculation.

The investigation now shifts to the ATF lab, where experts will conduct a scientific evaluation of the collected evidence to determine the cause of the explosion, a process expected to take time. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) reports that the remains of fourteen of the sixteen victims have been identified.

After twelve days of evidence collection at the blast site, the focus now moves to laboratory analysis to uncover the reasons behind this tragic event.