Explosion at Metafrique Steel plant in Douala, Cameroon, kills four and leaves 16 workers badly burned
A blast and fire at the Metafrique Steel plant in Douala's Bassa zone killed four workers; the governor says safety rules set after a May fire were ignored.
At a glance
- An explosion and fire at the Metafrique Steel iron and steel plant in the Bassa industrial zone of Douala, Cameroon, killed at least four people at about 7am on Monday, November 2.
- Sixteen workers were taken to Douala General Hospital with severe burns; several are in critical condition.
- Littoral region governor Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua said the company ignored safety measures ordered after a fire at the same plant in May, and raised the possibility of shutting it down.
- Metafrique Steel said the incident was caused by an external factor; an official investigation has been opened.
An explosion tore through the Metafrique Steel plant in Douala, Cameroon's largest city and economic capital, killing at least four workers and leaving 16 others with severe burns. The blast happened at about 7am on Monday, November 2, in the Bassa industrial zone, and set off a fire that spread quickly through the factory.
The injured were rushed to Douala General Hospital, where several remain in critical condition with burns over large parts of their bodies. Samuel Dieudonné Ivaha Diboua, governor of the Littoral region, gave the toll of four dead and 16 badly burned after visiting the site and the hospital. No updated official figure had been released by Tuesday, and officials have not ruled out a higher toll.
A second fire at the same plant in six months
This was not the first emergency at the site. A fire broke out at the Metafrique Steel plant during the night of April 30 to May 1 this year. After that blaze, the authorities ordered the company to put new safety measures in place.
The governor said on Monday that those measures had not been respected, and condemned the company for it. He raised the possibility of suspending the factory's operations while the cause is investigated.
| Date | Incident at Metafrique Steel, Douala | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Night of April 30–May 1, 2026 | Fire at the plant | Authorities ordered new safety measures |
| Monday, November 2, 2026, about 7am | Explosion followed by a fire | At least 4 dead, 16 severely burned |
| November 2, 2026 | Governor's visit | Investigation opened; possible shutdown raised |
What the company says
Metafrique Steel confirmed that its facilities were damaged and expressed regret for the human and material losses. It described the blast as an incident caused by an "external factor" but did not say what that factor was. The authorities have opened an investigation to establish exactly what happened, including whether equipment such as furnaces or gas lines failed.
Steel plants that melt scrap metal are prone to explosions when water or sealed containers end up in molten metal, or when gas leaks ignite. Investigators have not said which, if any, of these caused Monday's blast.
Why it matters in Douala
Metafrique Steel smelts iron and makes steel products for Cameroon's construction industry. Douala's Bassa zone is one of the country's main industrial districts, with factories and warehouses close to residential neighbourhoods, so a fire there can quickly threaten people outside the plant gates. The governor's public criticism of the company is unusually direct for a Cameroonian official.
For families of the injured, the immediate concern is care: severe burns need specialist treatment that is in short supply, and patients often need weeks in hospital.
What happens next
The investigation is expected to report on the cause and on whether the company complied with the orders issued after the May fire. The regional authorities will then decide whether the plant can keep operating. The names of the four workers who died have not been made public.
