Prayer vigils have been held in Tennessee near the site of an exploded munitions factory where 18 people are feared dead.

The eight-story building, located about 60 miles west of Nashville, was completely destroyed on Friday morning after multiple blasts were heard.

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis said, “There’s nothing to describe. It’s gone.”

Christians in the area have gathered to pray.

Local resident Felicity Howell, who attended a prayer vigil, told reporters, “I was sitting in my kitchen, there was a huge boom and my house shook very hard.

“It felt like a vehicle had gone through the house. Then we found out it was the explosion, about ten miles down the road.”

Authorities are still searching for a cause.

One worker, previously thought to be the nineteenth casualty, was found alive at home and had not been present at the time of the explosions.