Witnesses describe 'earthquake' amid BAE Systems factory blast

• Blast at BAE Systems plant in Glascoed, Monmouthshire as ‘shell’ explodes
• Emergency services rush to scene as incident unit is established on site

Locals living close to a BAE Systems weapons plant rocked by an explosion earlier today say the blast ‘felt like an earthquake’ as a shell went off.

The blast took place at the BAE Systems munitions factory in Glascoed, Monmouthshire shortly before 10.50am.

MailOnline understands the explosion relates to a single shell going off at the munitions filling factory, run by BAE, Europe’s biggest military contractor.

Emergency services were deployed to the site, which is spread across a large field close to the south-eastern village; locals say the blast ‘wasn’t loud, but felt like an earthquake’.

BAE Systems has promised a full investigation into the incident at the factory, which is the UK’s last remaining munitions filling factory.

Emergency services outside the BAE Systems Glascoed plant in Monmouthshire, South Wales

Police at the scene. Gwent Police confirmed its attendance but said the operation was being managed by the weapons firm

A fire engine outside the military weapons factory – the UK’s last remaining ammunition plant

The BAE Systems Glascoed site in South Wales, where an explosion was reported on Wednesday morning

South Wales Fire and Rescue Service has confirmed it is attending the incident, with a command unit on site managing the operation

BAE is Europe’s biggest military contractor and employs around 500 people at the Glascoed site. It has launched an investigation

BAE says the Glascoed plant employs around 500 people. The firm is Europe’s biggest military contractor with several sites across the UK.

A local told the South Wales Argus: ‘It wasn’t that loud from where I was but it felt like an earthquake. My car shook.’

A BAE Systems spokesperson said: ‘We can confirm that there was an incident at our Glascoed facility in Wales this morning.

‘Tried and tested safety protocols were immediately enacted and emergency services attended the site.

READ MORE: BAE firing on all cylinders: UK munitions factory steps up to boost the war effort in Ukraine 

‘All personnel are accounted for and our emergency response team continues to monitor the facility. We have launched a full investigation.’

Sources have indicated that a shell exploded on part of the site, which is spread out across a large area around a square kilometre in size.

This is understood to be a safety measure to reduce the risk of casualties in the event of incidents involving munitions.

The source added: ‘All the accounts we have so far are that a shell exploded – there’s nothing to suggest anyone is injured and we have accounted for all personnel. The site is safe.’

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson said: ‘We were called shortly before 11:00am today to reports of an incident in Glascoed, Usk.

‘We sent three operational managers, one Cymru high acuity response unit paramedic, one emergency ambulance and our Hazardous Area Response Team to the scene.

‘No further treatment was required and we were subsequently stood down.’

Glascoed was established in the 1930s as the government began preparing for war in Europe – which later escalated into the Second World War.

BAE took over the plant from the British government in the 1980s after the country’s Royal Ordnance Factories were privatised.

Glascoed is now the UK’s last remaining ammunition filling facility in the country – meaning it is the last place munitions will go to have shells and other cases filled with explosive materials.

According to the firm’s website, the site produces ammunition for small arms and medium-calibre weapons, as well as mortar bombs, tank ammo and artillery shells.

In recent years, it has been responsible for manufacturing the vast majority of munitions used by the UK armed forces in training and on the frontline.

These efforts include the manufacture of munitions as part of the UK’s commitment to supporting Ukraine in its fight back against Russian invaders.

But the site has also been targeted by pro-Palestinian protesters who accused BAE of supplying jet fighters and munitions to the Israel Defense Forces.

In 2020, BAE Systems was awarded a new £2.4billion 15-year contract to supply munitions to the Ministry of Defence, securing 1,260 jobs across its five UK sites.

Gwent Police declined to comment on its role in the operation, directing MailOnline to BAE Systems’ statement.

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