Powerful Explosion at Ammunition Plant Near Rome

A fire and a powerful explosion occurred on August 13 at the KNDS Ammo Italy ammunition plant in the Italian city of Colleferro, located southeast of Rome. According to the latest data, there are no fatalities or injuries.

The incident took place on the territory of the enterprise previously owned by Simmel Difesa. According to ANSA, a fire first broke out at the plant, followed by a strong detonation. The explosion was heard at a considerable distance from the industrial zone, and a large column of smoke rose above the plant area.

Preliminarily, the source was in the unit where explosives are pressed. The final cause of the incident has not yet been established.

At the time of the accident, about 20 employees were at the plant. According to Italian media, all have been accounted for and no one was injured. The mayor of Colleferro, Giulio Calamita, said that the plant was in summer vacation mode and was effectively closed for normal work. According to him, if the enterprise had been fully operational, the consequences could have been much more severe.

Several fire service units, carabinieri, and police arrived at the scene. Rescuers extinguished remaining fires and conducted work to ensure the safety of the territory.

The prosecutor's office of the city of Velletri has launched an investigation into the fire. Investigators will need to establish the exact sequence of events and the cause of the fire and the subsequent explosion. At the time of initial reports, KNDS representatives had not publicly named a possible cause of the accident.

What the KNDS Ammo Italy Plant Produces

The enterprise is part of the Franco-German defense group KNDS. The Colleferro plant specializes in the production of explosive devices for the defense industry. According to the Italian state register of high-risk industrial facilities, it produces ammunition, grenades, fuses, missile warheads, and powder charges.

KNDS also produces medium- and large-caliber ammunition for land and naval weapon systems, as well as solid propellant for aerospace launch vehicles.

According to Reuters, KNDS Ammo Italy is among the companies participating in the European Defence Agency's framework contracts for the procurement of 155 mm ammunition. Such agreements were concluded in 2023 under a joint procurement program that allows European countries to both replenish their own stocks and provide military support to Ukraine.

This is not the first serious incident at the Colleferro plant. In October 2007, when the plant was still operating under the name Simmel Difesa, a powerful explosion also occurred there. One person was killed and 13 workers were injured.

Sources: ANSA, European Defence Agency, ISPRA