KEY POINTS
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Explosion at a steel plant in Douala kills at least four people.
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Sixteen people suffer severe burns and are taken to Douala General Hospital.
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Metafrique Steel confirms the incident as authorities investigate its cause.
An explosion at an iron smelting plant in Douala, Cameroon’s commercial capital, has killed at least four people and left 16 others with severe burns.
The blast occurred on Monday morning, November 2, 2026, triggering a fire that was later extinguished, according to Samuel Dieudonne Ivaha Diboua, governor of the Littoral Region.
The incident affected facilities belonging to Metafrique Steel at the Bassa Industrial Park, raising concerns about the safety of industrial operations at the site.
Rescue teams recover four bodies
An army rescue unit recovered the bodies of four people following the explosion, Governor Diboua told reporters.
Rescue workers also evacuated 16 people who sustained burns in the incident and transferred them to Douala General Hospital for treatment.
The governor warned that the condition of the injured victims was serious because of the severity of their burns.
“We must not be too optimistic given the severity of the burns,” Diboua said.
Authorities have not provided further details about the identities of those killed or the full extent of the injuries.
Metafrique Steel confirms incident
Metafrique Steel, a manufacturing and trading company based in Douala, confirmed that its facilities at Bassa Industrial Park were affected by the incident.
The company described the explosion as an incident caused by an external factor, but said the circumstances surrounding it had yet to be established.
It did not provide additional details about the suspected cause, the extent of damage to the facility or whether production operations had been disrupted.
The fire that followed the blast has been extinguished, but further information about the investigation and possible safety implications was not immediately available.
Cause of explosion remains unclear
Authorities have yet to determine what caused the explosion. Metafrique Steel also said the circumstances were still being investigated.
The incident has left four people dead and 16 others receiving treatment for severe burns, according to the regional governor.
Further findings from the authorities are expected to clarify what triggered the blast and whether any safety failures contributed to the incident.
