Explosion heard near Rome as fire crews swarm Italian weapons factory

Emergency crews, including police and firefighters, were already attending a fire at the site when the detonation happened

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A powerful explosion rocked a munitions factory southeast of Rome on Thursday, with the blast heard for kilometres around.

Police and firefighters were already on site near the town of Colleferro dealing with a fire when the explosion took place.

"The situation is under control", mayor of Colleferro Giulio Calamita told reporters, noting he was waiting for confirmation that there were no casualties or injuries.

The blast occurred at a plant operated by KNDS Ammo Italy, part of the Franco-German defence group KNDS. The business did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

According to its website, KNDS Ammo manufactures medium- and large-calibre ammunition for land and naval defence systems, alongside solid propellants for aerospace launch vehicles.

EU documents show the contractor is part of 155-mm ammunition framework agreements established by the European Defence Agency in 2023.

Calamita stated the incident happened during the summer vacation while the plant was shut, adding that otherwise "it would have been a tragedy". He confirmed efforts were ongoing to extinguish remaining fires.

Television imagery showed a large plume of smoke rising over the industrial location as emergency teams operated in the area.

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