Two killed, four injured as explosion rocks factory in Kaduna
At least two workers—including a military officer— were killed, and four others were injured, on Saturday the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) in Kaduna, when an explosion believed to have emanated from gunpowder production.
The incident occurred at the corporation’s factory in the Kurmin Gwari area of Kaduna metropolis during a weekend shift.
According to residents living near the factory, the blast was so powerful that it shook buildings within the vicinity, triggering panic as people ran for safety.
“I heard a very big blast; it shook the surrounding buildings around DICON. People were running from the area. Initially, we thought it was a bomb explosion, but later we learnt it was from the factory,” a resident who did not want his name mentioned said.
News Nexus gathered that the injured victims were immediately taken to St. Gerard Catholic Hospital in Kakuri, about two kilometres from the factory, for emergency treatment.
At the hospital, a large crowd of sympathisers, including DICON staff and relatives of the victims, were seen, with some weeping openly as doctors battled to save the lives of the injured.
A military ambulance later arrived at the hospital and evacuated the victims to the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital in Kaduna for further treatment.
One of the eyewitnesses who helped to convey the injured to the hospital said that the explosion occurred during the production of gunpowder materials used in arms manufacturing.
“It was an explosion from the production of gunpowder—something called primer powder. It killed a military officer instantly, as well as one civilian worker. Four other civilian workers were critically injured. Their conditions are serious,” the source, who pleaded anonymity, said.
As of press time, efforts to speak with DICON management regarding the incident had proved abortive, as no official was available for comment.
The Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria, established in 1964, is the country’s premier arms manufacturing outfit responsible for producing weapons and ammunition for the Nigerian Armed Forces.
This explosion has raised concerns among residents about safety standards at the facility, especially given its location within a densely populated area of Kaduna metropolis.
