Worker killed at military hardware factory in UK

An explosion at a military hardware factory near Salisbury killed one person on Friday, British defence equipment maker Chemring Group said.

The blast at the British contractor’s Chemring Countermeasures factory injured another person who was taken to hospital, the company said in a tweet.

The site was evacuated and the incident was brought under control, the company said, adding that it had launched an investigation into the cause of the blast on Friday evening.

“We have two casualties that have been identified,” a representative of the Wiltshire Police told the BBC before the corporation’s announcement.

“One of them sadly died at the scene and the other has been taken to hospital in a critical condition.”

Chemring Countermeasures makes products to protect military ships and aircraft from attack.

Salisbury was also where double Russian agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were poisoned by the Novichok military-grade nerve agent in March.

Both eventually recovered. Britain has accused Russia of being behind the attack, which the Kremlin denies.

Months later, two residents of a nearby town with no ties to Russia were also poisoned by the deadly toxin.

Police believe the couple accidentally found a bottle containing Novichok. One of them, a woman, later died in hospital.

One of them died at the scene. The other has been taken to hospital in a critical condition SPOKESMAN FOR WILTSHIRE POLICE