Mwanza Factory Explosion injures 40 people

By Tanzania Times On Sep 24, 2021

At least 40 people, most of them workers at the Nyakato Steel Mills, in Mwanza have suffered serious injuries, following sudden explosion at the factory in the City located along the shores of Lake Victoria.

The blast took off the entire roof from the metal smelting and rolling mills, badly injuring the 40 workers, all of whom are currently admitted at the Sekou Toure Hospital in Mwanza, six among them said to be critical conditions.

It is suspected that, the various scrap metals being smelted at the factory, could have included some explosive materials collected elsewhere and taken alongside the discarded pieces of steel to the factory. A similar incident had occurred in Arusha nearly two decades ago at Trishalla Steel Mills of Njiro.

The Mwanza Regional Police Commander, Ramadhan Ng’hazi has confirmed the Nyakato incident, adding that the explosion occurred at the steel mills, in the late evening of Friday September 24.

Some employees at the steel mills, said they simply heard the blast, before the entire area got surrounded with clouds of smoke, later their fellow workers were seen lying down in pain, some fainted.

On his part, the head of the Mwanza Regional Fire and Rescue department, Ambwene Mwakibete stated that it was still early to identify the cause of the blast but already investigators have started working on the case.

With around 50 employees in total, the blast must have taken toll onto practically 80 percent of the firm’s workforce.

Part of the Foundries Industry, the Nyakato Steel Mills Limited firm, located in Mwanza, deals with converting pig iron into steel; producing steel; manufacturing and shaping metals into steel bars, plates, rods, sheets, strips, wires and forming pipes and tubes as well as alloys.