Following an explosion at a steel plant in Katte on January 21, a furnace at a steel plant in Cabiri, Ikolo-Bengo Province, Angola, exploded over the weekend, killing one person and injuring three. The local Civil Protection and Fire Service (SPCB) considers this the worst accident recorded over the weekend. According to Pedro Camoyo Bambi, deputy head of the local fire department, the accident occurred around 3 p.m. at the Daniel Luis de Carvalho steel production company along National Highway 230. The explosion killed one unidentified person at the scene and injured three others. The injured included two Angolan citizens and one unidentified Chinese citizen, aged between 25 and 30. After receiving initial treatment at the scene, the injured were transported to the Katte Municipal Hospital. SPCB officials emphasized that due to the severity of the incident and the risks posed by industrial accidents, it warrants special attention from the government, and stressed the necessity of strictly adhering to safety standards in the workplace.
Previously, Angola's news agency Announcement reported that on the morning of January 21, an explosion occurred at a furnace in Katte, Ikolo and Bengo Province, at a Chinese steel company, resulting in at least two deaths and seven injuries. According to the civil defense and fire departments involved in the rescue efforts, preliminary information indicates the accident occurred around 6:00 AM when a furnace at the factory exploded. It is understood that the two deceased were Chinese citizens, while the remaining injured were both Chinese nationals and foreign workers, all suffering minor burns and currently receiving treatment at a burn hospital in Luanda Province. Local emergency rescue teams and personnel quickly arrived at the scene, extinguished the medium-sized fire, and treated the injured. The local government is currently investigating the cause of the accident. Following the explosion on January 21, the Chinese Embassy in Angola issued a reminder on January 23, emphasizing that Chinese-funded enterprises in Angola must attach great importance to production safety, strengthen production safety in accordance with Chinese and Angolan laws and regulations, comprehensively review their production processes and management standards, and identify and rectify any safety hazards.
