On 13/8, a fire erupted at the KNDS Ammo Italy ammunition factory in Colleferro, a subsidiary of the French-German defense group KNDS. The blaze, which started in the gunpowder pressing area, spread to nearby vegetation, prompting the deployment of police, 10 fire teams, and a helicopter to the scene.
Shortly after the fire alarm, witnesses reported a large explosion at the factory.
Social media images and videos captured a massive fireball followed by a towering smoke plume. One local resident described feeling like an earthquake had struck, as the loud blast shook her entire building.
Colleferro Mayor Giulio Calamita confirmed no casualties, stating the explosion impacted only one production and storage area. Initial reports indicate all 24 workers present were evacuated.
Calamita remarked, "If the explosion had not happened during the summer holiday, when the factory was closed, it would have been a disaster." He added that authorities are now extinguishing the remaining fires.
The cause of the explosion remains undetermined. Police and prosecutors are investigating at the scene, while KNDS has also launched an internal inquiry.
KNDS Ammo Italy's website states the company manufactures medium and large caliber ammunition for land and sea defense systems, as well as solid propellants for aerospace launch vehicles.
The company is also part of European Defence Agency framework agreements for 155 mm artillery shells, signed in 2023. Local sources suggest this facility produces 155 mm artillery shells supplied to Ukraine via European partners.
Thanh Danh (Reuters, AP, Kyiv Independent)
