Sept. 4 (UPI) — At least eight people were killed by an explosion at a Denel factory in South Africa on Monday.
Three fire engines and 15 firefighters responded to a report of an explosion at the munitions factory, in Somerset West, which is 30 miles east of Cape Town.
According to a spokesperson for Cape Town’s fire and emergency services, first responders originally announced the death of four people.
“Death toll in munition plant blast has risen to 8,” South African news network EWN Reporter wrote on Twitter. “All missing employees have been accounted for.”
“The cause of the explosion has not been ascertained as yet,” spokesperson Theo Layne told Bloomberg News.
Local residents said the explosion shook the surrounding buildings. A fireball and cloud of smoke could be seen above the factory.
Denel is South Africa’s largest aerospace and defense manufacturing company.
In a statement shared on Twitter, the company said: “Should the deaths that the media reported on be confirmed, Denel SOC Ltd sends our deepest condolences to the families of anyone who has lost life in this incident.”
