After a blast in downtown Nashville on Christmas Day, Bill Lee, the governor of the US state of Tennessee, on Saturday urged President Donald Trump to declare an emergency.
"I request that you declare an emergency disaster declaration for the State of Tennessee as a result of an intentional explosion in Nashville, Davidson County," Lee's letter read, a copy of which was posted on Twitter.
On Friday, an RV (Recreational vehicle) exploded in downtown Nashville after it played a recorded warning. Nashville Police Chief John Drake had said that possible human remains had been found near the site of the blast.
In the letter, Lee said that the explosion directly impacted communication systems across the State of Tennessee with additional impacts across Kentucky and northern Alabama, adding that this impact included residential phones, cell service, and over public safety answering points.
"The failure of systems also impacted Nashville International Airport (BNA) and grounded inbound and outbound flights for a portion of the day. The event complicated the State of Tennessee's network operations, affecting communication networks and other infrastructure. Numerous departments within the state were interrupted and reverted to business continuity processes," the letter further reads.
The governor added said 41 businesses that suffered damages in the blast required federal help.
"Preliminary reports show 41 businesses were damaged by the explosion. These buildings, many of which are historic, and others will need to be assessed by an engineer for structural integrity and safety," the letter said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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