Inspection detonates 46 kg of gunpowder found in a clandestine fireworks factory in Traipu; see explosion | Alagoas

Inspection detonates 46 kg of gunpowder stored clandestinely in AL

A clandestine fireworks factory was discovered this Wednesday (8) by the team from the Integrated Preventive Inspection of the São Francisco River Basin (FPI of the São Francisco River), in the city of Traipu, in the interior of Alagoas. There were 46 kilos of gunpowder at the scene, which were detonated by inspectors. (see video above).

The clandestine factory operated in a flour mill in Vila Santo Antônio, a town in the city. Inspectors were on site to check possible irregular disposal of residues from flour production in the Velho Chico basin, when they came across the irregular manufacturing of explosives.

The flour mill was empty and appeared to be inactive. Residents of the region reported that production only takes place during the cassava harvest, in the summer. However, the team’s technicians noticed fire-making material in several of the environments intended for traditional flour production.

There was craft glue, paper, bamboo and other materials used in the production of firecrackers, firecrackers, bombs and the well-known sprinkles. No protective equipment, artisanal handling instruments and almost no infrastructure for producing fireworks were found at the site.

The Bope bomb squad was called and arrived by helicopter to detonate the gunpowder found that was stored in buckets and even PET bottles, spread across the floor. The structure of the site is old, with tiles in precarious condition, subject to heat, which makes the environment even more vulnerable.

Those responsible for the factory were not identified and residents were unable to inform who owned the clandestine enterprise. A police report was made at the Arapiraca Police Station to initiate a police investigation and hold the offenders accountable.

The gunpowder was detonated in an open and safe space, and generated a “mushroom” about 10 meters high. The size of the explosion showed the destructive potential of the product in case of improper handling and packaging.

“It is a situation in which, even though it was not the initial focus of the operation, it requires us to take measures to protect the community from possible accidents, as it is explosive material, and in this case, the appropriate conduct was to call the team specialized in explosives from the Military Police”, stated the coordination of the Mineral Extraction and Solid Waste team.

“The biggest records of accidents with explosions are those involving gunpowder,” said BOPE explosives technician, Sergeant Francelino. “Gunpowder is quite unstable, and therefore accidents are frequent, even more so in situations like those identified in the clandestine factory.”