Explosion at Colleferro ammunition plant leaves 24 workers safe

Rome – An explosion and fire at an ammunition factory in Colleferro, south of Rome, caused a powerful blast that was heard across surrounding towns on Sunday, but no deaths or injuries were reported.

The incident occurred at the former Simmel Difesa plant, now owned by KNDS Ammo Italy, in the Quarto Chilometro area along Via Latina between Colleferro and Artena.

The factory specialises in the production of medium and large calibre ammunition for land and naval defence, as well as solid propellants for aerospace vehicles.

According to initial reports, the fire broke out in the plant's powder pressing department, reportedly involving a machine used to compact gunpowder. The subsequent explosion caused a large fire, with high temperatures and strong winds contributing to the spread of the flames.

Emergency services, including several teams from the fire brigade, Carabinieri and ARES 118, were immediately deployed to the site. Roads around the industrial complex were closed as a precaution while firefighters worked to contain the blaze.

The 24 workers present at the plant at the time of the incident were accounted for and brought to safety. No injuries have been reported.

Colleferro mayor Pierluigi Sanna said the flames had been brought largely under control, while stressing the scale of the emergency response.

“No one has ever given up for a moment and hundreds of people are still working on a large scale,” Sanna said in a statement.

KNDS confirmed that an incident had occurred at its Colleferro facility and said that no injuries had been reported. The company said the circumstances were being investigated and that it could not yet provide confirmed details about the cause or exact sequence of events.

“The safety of our employees and everyone working at our facilities remains our highest priority,” the company said, adding that it was working closely with local authorities.

The Velletri Prosecutor's Office has opened an investigation into the incident, with the initial hypothesis being arson. Investigators from the Colleferro Carabinieri and the Frascati Investigative Unit are examining the area, with detailed inspections expected once the site has been declared safe.

Investigators are focusing on the powder pressing department, identified as the likely point of origin. Employees who were present at the time will also be questioned as authorities attempt to reconstruct the sequence of events.

Initial investigative assessments have ruled out an act of sabotage, an extremist attack or an external threat. The incident is instead being treated as an accident connected to activities inside the plant.

Lazio governor Francesco Rocca expressed concern for the workers and the wider Colleferro community, saying that the immediate priority was to guarantee safety and allow emergency personnel to operate in secure conditions.

“I am following what is happening in Colleferro with great concern,” Rocca said. He thanked the fire brigade, ARES 118 and all those involved in the emergency response, adding that his thoughts were with the workers, their families and the local community.

The explosion has nevertheless renewed political debate over industrial safety and the presence of defence related manufacturing facilities in the Sacco Valley.

Ilaria Fontana, deputy leader of the Five Star Movement in the Chamber of Deputies, called for a broader assessment of safety standards at plants involved in the production of military materials. She also referred to the former Winchester plant in nearby Anagni, arguing that the area already faces environmental challenges and should not be exposed to additional industrial risks.

The Colleferro facility, which dates back to 1912, has a long history of explosives and ammunition production and remains an important industrial site for Italy's defence and aerospace sectors.

Authorities are continuing to secure the area and investigate the precise circumstances behind the explosion.

PS