Explosion at the former Simmel Difesa munitions factory; no injuries
The Velletri Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the offence of arson; the public prosecutor on duty will shortly carry out an on-site inspection. In October 2007, a major explosion had already occurred at the factory – then known as Simmel Difesa – which at the time resulted in one fatality and 13 injured workers.
A column of white smoke, followed shortly afterwards by an orange fireball tens of metres high, with a shower of burning debris beginning to fall to the ground as a deafening roar shook the air around the former Simmel Difesa factory in Colleferro, near Rome. These are the images filmed by local residents and shared online, documenting the fire followed by an explosion that occurred in the early afternoon at the facility owned by ‘Knds Ammo Italy’. The company produces medium- and large-calibre ammunition for land and naval defence, as well as solid propellants for aerospace launch vehicles. The incident took place in the ‘Powder Compaction’ department and, according to initial reports, appears to have been caused by a press that exploded during the manufacturing process. However, certainty can only be established once all the fires have been extinguished and the public prosecutor on duty and the fire brigade are able to enter the premises to carry out an inspection and investigate the incident.
Investigators have ruled out acts of sabotage with subversive intent, and the Velletri Public Prosecutor’s Office is proceeding with an investigation into the offence of arson. Knds, the plant’s owner, has also stated that “the circumstances of the incident are currently being investigated and assessed by the teams on site” and that it is not yet able to provide “confirmed details regarding the cause or the exact sequence of events”. The explosion is reported to have occurred whilst the plant was in full operation. The flames are said to have triggered the fire-suppression system, which enabled the 24 employees on duty at the time to be brought to safety before the explosion took place.
That was not the case in October 2007, when an explosion at the same factory – then owned by Simmel Difesa – left one person dead and 13 injured. Today’s fire affected only one area of the factory, blowing the roof to smithereens; this acted as a pressure relief valve, channelling the energy produced by the blast upwards.
The Fire Service, the Carabinieri, the 118 emergency service and the Civil Protection Agency are on the scene: the emergency area is confined to the ward affected by the fire; outside, the situation is under such control that the mayor, Giulio Calamita, has not activated the Coc, the emergency management centre. The outlet centre located a short distance away has not been evacuated, nor has it been necessary to activate procedures to assist members of the public, although the Regional Councillor for Civil Protection, Pasquale Ciacciarelli, has informed the mayor that he stands ready should such measures be required.
“At this time, the priority is to ensure people’s safety and enable all emergency services to carry out their work under the best possible conditions,” said Francesco Rocca, President of the Lazio Region. The Italian subsidiary of Knds Ammo Italy is one of the top 15 national companies in terms of ammunition exports and, in 2025, secured around 42 million euros’ worth of new export licences to Europe, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. There are plans to expand production to the site in nearby Anagni, which has so far been used for the defusing of artillery shells. In 2025, a plan was submitted to the local council for the production of ‘nitrogelatine’, the basic component for explosives and ammunition.
