Romanian emergency officials say a woman employed at an arms factory in western Romania has died in a blast at the plant.
An explosion occurred Monday in a tunnel where weapons are tested at the plant in the city of Cugir, followed by a fire. Nineteen people were working a shift in the tunnel when the blast occurred. They all managed to escape apart from a 50-year-old woman who reportedly returned to retrieve her handbag.
Tristan Fogarasi, a spokesman for the Emergency Inspectorate told The Associated Press that officials later found the woman's body.
Fogarasi said firefighters extinguished the blaze after two hours.
The state-owned plant manufactures a variety of pistols and other weapons. It employs 1,000 people and opened in 1799.
An investigation into the blast is underway.
The tragic blast has impacted one of the US’s top AK manufacturers. Florida-based Century Arms said in a statement the plant accident puts the future of Romanian imports for its WASR rifles and Micro Draco pistols in doubt.
“Century Arms ... is saddened to learn of a recent event at a factory of one of the company’s sourcing partners in Cugir, Romania,” the company said in a statement. “We support our Romanian partners in this tragic loss and time of need.”
With reporting from Military Times GearScout.
