Accident Reporting August 2016 – December 2016
Minor explosion at Radford Army Ammunition plant (Radford, Virginia, US, 21 August 2016)
An explosion occurred in the production area at Radford Army Ammunition Plant. The resulting fire was extinguished by the Radford Army Ammunition Fire Department with assistance from the Fairlawn Volunteer Fire Department. The accident was associated with production work at the plant and is under investigation by Radford AAP employees.
Lt. Col Masson: “Safety of employees is our number one priority. Because of the safety procedures and processes in place, there were no injuries associated with this production accident.”
http://wsls.com/2016/08/21/explosion-at-radford-army-ammunition-plant/
Explosion and blaze at Turkish ammunition depot (Afyon, Turkey, 6 September 2016)
An explosion at an ammunition depot near Afyon (west of Turkey) killed 25 soldiers and injured 4. The explosion took place at a section where hand grenades were stored. It was stated that one hand grenade was dropped during stock-taking and sorting, causing a large explosion.
Hand grenades were found strewn across the area and authorities were detonating them with controlled explosions. Turkey's NTV television showed security officers walking along a road and in fields, looking for unexploded ammunition. People were advised not to approach the blast site, because of the probability that hand grenades and other munitions were scattered in the explosion. The fire that followed the explosion was under control the following day.
http://www.dw.com/en/fatal-apparent-accident-at-turkish-ammunition-depot/a-16222521
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4278070,00.html
Fireworks disaster (Tutepec, Mexico, 21 December 2016)
Explosions ripped through a fireworks market north of Mexico City on Tuesday, killing at least 29 people. People in neighboring towns reported that they could feel the ground tremble beneath their feet as fireworks stalls exploded in Tultepec, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of Mexico City. The series of blasts sent huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky. Seventy-two people were injured, said Eruviel Avila, governor of the state of Mexico. Three minors are expected to be transferred to a hospital in Galveston, Texas, for treatment for extreme burns. The town is known for its pyrotechnics industry and the huge San Pablito market is popular for fireworks sales. The market would have been especially crowded heading into the holidays as locals shopped for fireworks to mark Christmas and New Year celebrations.
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/12/20/americas/mexico-fireworks-explosion/
Explosion at munitions depot (Lopi Buri, Thailand, 26 December 2016)
A munitions depot at the Army Ordnance Dept in Muang Lop Buri exploded on Monday morning, but there were no reports of injuries. The explosion occurred at Munitions Depot 4, which stores rounds for small arms along with other armaments, about 8.30am. The first blast was followed by several smaller explosions, sending thick white smoke into the sky which could be spotted from kilometres away. Firefighters took about 30 minutes to control the fire. Noone was injured in the incident. The cause of the explosion is being investigated.
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1168796/explosion-at-army-munitions-depot-in-lop-buri
Ammunition in “Palace of Justice” in Brussels (Brussels, 17 January 2017)
We found a striking news article about the storage of ammunition under the Palace of Justice in Brussels, only some 15 km’s away from our MSIAC offices.
“Roughly 5 tons of ammunition is currently stored under “Justitiepaleis” in Brussels. Most of it is there illegally because the Brussels Region permit only allows to store 450 kilograms. Also, the ammunition is not always stored properly. 'This situation is not healthy, according to Jean de Codt, First President of the “Hof van Cassatie”. He wants the ammo to go.”
http://www.bruzz.be/en/video/top-magistrate-wants-get-rid-tons-ammunition-under-justitiepaleis
