Ammunition Factory Accident in Romania Claims 2nd Victim

A second employee injured in a fire at an ammunition factory in Cugir, Romania, Friday has died, media reports state.

The accident occurred on a production line dedicated to tracer ammunition. According to government official Cristian Simu, the two fatalities were technicians responsible for loading pyrotechnic charges in the individual tracer bullets.

Simu, who previously worked in the munitions industry, said that one of the charges being handled ignited. These accidents happen often without serious consequences, but in this case it caused a violent fire that spread through other tracer charges on hand, he said.

“It depends on the temperature, the humidity, the way the composition is made, the quality of the material that is in the composition,” Simu said. “It is a load that ignites quite easily.”

Nine other people nearby were able to escape without injury.