Munitions factory to resume ammunition testing after deadly blast

Residents living near a munitions factory in Somerset West near Cape Town where an explosion killed eight workers were advised that ammunition testing would resume on Monday.

Rheinmetall Denel Munition is still investigating the cause of the deadly blast on September 3.

Company CEO Norbert Schulze said it was important to inform the community that ammunition testing would resume.

“The community may hear some noise resulting from the munition testing which will be carried out on our dedicated testing site and I want them to know that these sounds are normal and that they should not be alarmed.”

The factory‚ which consists of about 400 buildings‚ manufactures artillery ammunition.

Schulze said in a statement that the company understood that the community was still traumatised after the incident and wanted to make every effort to be sensitive to heightened fears.

“We are all still mourning a great loss to our community and need to support each other during this time‚ so as a company we are making extra efforts to be inclusive with the community about what’s going on at our site‚” said Schulze.

Schulze added that it could only officially release the names of workers killed in the blast after an identification process had been concluded‚ after consultation with the affected families.