Explosion in Polish weapons factory leaves one dead

K9 howitzers in the Polish Navy port of Gdynia, Poland, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022.(AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski) ©Michal Dyjuk/Copyright 2022 The AP. All rights reserved

An explosion at an armaments factory in Poland killed one and injured several, local media reported on Monday.

The explosion started a fire and killed a 59-year-old worker at the Mesko weapon factory in the Polish city of Skarżysko-Kamienna.

Another employee was hospitalised after inhaling smoke, though his condition is not life-threatening, local authorities said.

“We had an explosion at the rocket fuel centre, which was put into operation a few years ago,” said the plant’s chairwoman Elżbieta Śreniawska.

The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.

The factory — owned by the state-run Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa — manufactures defence products, anti-tank missiles and small arms ammunition.

Poland has provided extensive military support for Ukraine, significantly increasing production for many local arms factories.

© Euronews