Blast at Zambian explosives factory kills 46

At least 46 people were killed yesterday when a blast tore through an explosives factory at a Zambian copper mine.

At least 46 people were killed yesterday when a blast tore through an explosives factory at a Zambian copper mine.

"I cannot explain this tragedy which has killed 46 people so far. The entire plant has been razed. Most people were burned badly while others were just in pieces," the country's mining minister said at the mine, 250 miles north of Lusaka.

"The scene was unpleasant and I shed tears when I saw the pieces of human flesh," he added.

Officials said the explosion occurred at an explosives factory on the premises of the Chambishi mine, owned by China's NFC Mining Africa. The mine was not affected by the blast.

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The Chinese-owned Bgrimm Explosives Plant is a major supplier of explosives for Chambishi and other copper mines in Zambia.