Eight employees at Yellow Stripes, a scrap metal company, have sustained serious burns following an explosion at the firm’s facility in Chambishi area of Kalulushi District.
Kitwe Teaching Hospital General Surgeon, Dr. Encok Soko, said four of the injured were admitted to the hospital around 03:00 hours, with three currently in critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit.
Dr. Soko explained that the four male patients admitted at the facility suffered mixed burns ranging between 75 and 90 percent, describing the injuries as both superficial and deep.
He added that the remaining four injured employees are admitted to Royal Medical Centre, where their condition is reported to be stable.
Meanwhile, one of the affected workers, Justine Nshimbi of Chambishi, told the media that the explosion is believed to have been caused by overloading scrap metal into the furnace.
Authorities have since launched investigations into the incident to establish the exact cause of the explosion and assess whether safety procedures were followed at the plant.
Labour and safety officials are also expected to inspect the facility, as concerns grow over adherence to occupational health and safety standards in the scrap metal processing sector.
The incident has raised fresh calls for stricter enforcement of industrial safety regulations to prevent similar accidents and protect workers in high-risk environments.
