A massive explosion ripped through a munitions factory near the town of Colleferro, southeast of Rome, on Thursday. According to Reuters, the blast was so loud that its sound was heard for kilometres around.
A massive explosion ripped through a munitions factory near the town of Colleferro, southeast of Rome, on Thursday. According to Reuters, the blast was so loud that its sound was heard for kilometres around.
According to the report, the explosion took place when firefighters and police were already at the site responding to a fire, local media reports said. No injuries were reported, said the Franco-German defence group KNDS. It is pertinent to note that the plant is operated by KNDS Ammo Italy, which is a subsidiary of the group.
“It would have been a tragedy” if the blast had not happened during the summer holiday when the plant was closed, Colleferro mayor Giulio Calamita told reporters. He said efforts were underway to put out the last fires.
Matter under investigation
KNDS also released a statement giving an update on the situation. “The circumstances surrounding the incident are currently being investigated and assessed by the teams on site,” KNDS said in a statement.
It is important to note that the plant where the explosion took place makes medium- and large-calibre ammunition for land and naval defence systems, as well as solid propellants for aerospace launch vehicles, according to its website.
The company is among the contractors on European Defence Agency 155-mm ammunition framework agreements concluded in 2023, European Union documents show.
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Videos circulating online showed large plumes of smoke rising above the industrial site as emergency services worked. As of now, the Italian media reported that there were no casualties, with the AGI news agency saying employees sheltered in secure areas at the facility.
The mayor of Colleferro, Giulio Calamita, wrote in a post on Facebook that “the situation is under control.” “The fright is great, but right now it is essential to keep calm and, above all, to avoid spreading untrue information, such as that relating to the 2007 accident, which is once again circulating. We will update you as soon as possible with verified information,” he wrote.
His post was referencing the major explosion at the same plant in October 2007, which killed one worker and left 13 others injured. The Corriere della Sera daily said that the fire started at a compaction press for explosive powder.
With inputs from Reuters and AFP.