Explosion Occurred at Nammo Vihtavuori Gunpowder Factory in Finland: One Person Killed

An explosion occurred at the Nammo Vihtavuori gunpowder factory in Finland, killing one person.

According to preliminary reports, the explosion occurred while a pipe containing traces of explosive material was being cut, Yle reports.

The Safety Investigation Authority of Finland has launched an investigation into the incident to determine the causes of the accident and prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency is also conducting an investigation.

The Vihtavuori gunpowder factory is located near the city of Jyväskylä. The facility was founded in 1922 as a military site to produce gunpowder and explosive materials for the needs of the newly established Finnish state. Today, most of Vihtavuori’s products are exported.

According to the investigation, a detailed determination will be made regarding what work was being carried out at the time of the accident and what factors led to the explosion.

How events unfolded

An explosion occurred on the grounds of the Nammo gunpowder plant in the municipality of Laukaa on Wednesday before noon. As a result of the incident, one person was killed and another was injured.

The explosion took place in a building with an area of approximately 1,000 square meters, which had previously been used for the production of a two-component propellant mixture. The building was not currently in use.

Previously, a mixture of nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose—a propellant used in certain weapon systems—was manufactured there.

Expansion and modernization work was underway in the building; once completed, it was scheduled to be put back into operation at the end of the year.

Both the deceased and the injured were employees of a contractor performing work at the facility. According to preliminary reports, the deceased was cutting a pipe inside the building. Traces of an explosive substance were found there.

At the same time, according to company management, the pipe in question was not a high-pressure pipeline but a sewer pipe. It is currently unknown what specific substance’s residues were inside. Expansion work at the site of the accident has been suspended pending the completion of the investigation.