Cameroonian authorities have sealed a steelworks in Douala following an explosion and fire that left five people dead. The death toll was provisional on 3 November. The plant will remain sealed while investigators examine the circumstances and the authorities decide what should happen next.
The explosion struck Metafrique Steel in the Bassa industrial area of Cameroon’s commercial capital on 2 November. A fire followed. Rescue workers recovered four bodies from the site, while 16 people with severe burns were taken to Douala General Hospital.
One of those taken to hospital later died, bringing the provisional death toll to five. At a hospital briefing on 3 November, intensive care specialist Professor Juliette Metogo said three employees had been able to return home and two were receiving respiratory assistance.
Site secured for investigation
Acting Mines, Industry and Technological Development Minister Fuh Calistus Gentry visited the factory on 3 November with the Littoral regional governor, local administrative officials and technical and security representatives. The ministry said the visit was intended to assess the situation from safety, regulatory and industrial perspectives.
Company representatives described the sequence of events and gave preliminary information about the accident during a working session, the ministry said. It said the minister observed a moment of prayer for those who died and offered condolences to bereaved families and employees. He then visited injured workers at the hospital, where medical teams briefed the delegation.
The ministry said the factory was sealed to preserve the site and physical material needed for the inquiries. It said investigators would seek to establish the exact circumstances, examine compliance with safety and regulatory requirements, and determine any responsibilities. The precautionary measure is not a finding that the company breached a rule or caused the explosion.
Officials have not given a date for the plant to reopen. The ministry said it would remain sealed pending the outcome of the investigations and decisions by the competent authorities. The suspension is therefore different from a confirmed permanent closure.
Earlier fire and safety questions
Littoral Governor Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua had earlier called for the factory to stop operating. He accused the company of failing to put in place safety measures prescribed after earlier fires. His criticism is an allegation, not an established conclusion of the investigation into this incident.
In a statement after the blast, Metafrique Steel said the incident involved an external factor but that its causes had yet to be determined. It did not specify that factor. The company acknowledged casualties and damage and said it was taking steps to support the victims’ families.
The site had also suffered a fire during the night of 30 April to 1 May 2026. After that fire, the company said ten people had been injured; several were critically hurt. Production was temporarily suspended afterwards and subsequently resumed. Its final toll remains unclear.
Metafrique Steel recycles ferrous scrap to make steel products, including reinforcing bars used in construction. A subsidiary of India’s Metafrique Group, it has operated in Cameroon for about 15 years. Its workforce was estimated at nearly 500 in May.
Featured image: AI-generated illustration.
