Explosion at Munitions Factory in Granada Leaves Three Injured

An explosion occurred early Friday morning at a gunpowder and munitions factory situated in the El Fargue neighborhood of Granada, Spain, resulting in three workers sustaining minor injuries. The emergency services coordination room received more than thirty calls starting at 8:57 a.m. alerting authorities to a powerful blast within the facility, which is located near the Murcia highway.

Following the alerts, a large emergency response was deployed to the scene, including mobile intensive care units from the 061 Emergency Health Center, the Civil Guard, the National Police, firefighters, local police forces, and specialized bomb disposal technicians known as Tedax. Medical personnel treated the three affected men, aged 40, 51, and 58, before transporting them to the Virgen de las Nieves Hospital for medical evaluation due to potential hearing injuries.

National Police officers conducted inspections of nearby residential buildings to evaluate whether the blast caused any structural damage or significant flaws. Authorities confirmed that no structural damage or severe issues were found in the surrounding properties. According to local police reports, the incident specifically occurred within the facility's gunpowder burning zone.

The CSG group, which owns the Granada Munitions Factory, stated that the explosion took place in the demilitarization area of the plant where old, damaged, or unusable ammunition is destroyed. The company noted that it does not expect the accident to cause long-term disruptions to the facility's overall operations. Further details from Ideal indicate that the blast happened while workers were destroying defective mortar projectiles containing 18 kilograms of TNT each.

The plant, which employs roughly 260 to over 300 workers across nearly a million square meters, is an integral manufacturer of propellants, artillery ammunition, and mortar rounds. It stands as a key supplier for European and NATO member nations, providing crucial components within the European defense sector. Following the incident, the facility was temporarily evacuated while specialists investigated the cause of the explosion and secured the perimeter.

The factory carries an extensive history spanning centuries of gunpowder production in the region, with documentation of manufacturing dating back to 1324 and the establishment of the El Fargue facility in 1786. In recent years, production demand has grown significantly amid ongoing international conflicts, making it a prominent industrial site in southern Spain. Officials are continuing their investigation to determine the exact cause of the blast and the full extent of the material damage.