Explosion Rips Through KNDS Defense Factory Near Rome

A powerful explosion has ripped through a weapons factory in Italy owned by Franco-German defense group KNDS, a major arms supplier to the Ukrainian military.

No casualties were reported in the blast, which occurred near the town of Colleferro, about 45 km southeast of Rome, on Thursday.

Mayor Giulio Calamita told reporters that the community of roughly 50,000 people, which has longstanding ties to the factory, narrowly avoided a tragedy because many employees were away for the summer holidays. Twenty-four workers were inside the building at the time of the explosion and all were reported safe, according to the RAI news agency.

Footage circulating online shows flames rising behind a group of buildings before a powerful blast sends burning debris into the air.

KNDS owns the facility through its national subsidiary, KNDS Ammo Italy. The plant manufactures medium- and large-caliber ammunition, including 155mm artillery shells that are reportedly supplied to Ukraine through European intermediaries. KNDS has close defense ties with the Ukrainian military and opened a subsidiary in Kiev in 2024.

A preliminary investigation found no indications of foul play, Italian media reported, citing law enforcement sources.

Colleferro has previously seen deadly accidents linked to weapons production at the site, which over the years was owned by Bombrini-Parodi-Delfino (BPD), Snia Viscosa, and Simmel Difesa before being acquired in 2014 by Nexter Systems, now renamed KNDS France, according to media reports.

In 2007, an explosion on a munitions packaging line killed one worker and injured 13 others. The deadliest such incident occurred in 1938, when 60 people were killed and around 1,500 were injured.