Blast at South African munitions plant kills 8: official

Cape Town: Eight people were killed on Monday in an explosion at a munitions factory near Cape Town in South Africa, a city official said, as local residents reported that nearby houses shook from the blast.

"Eight persons were confirmed as fatalities and the fire department is assisting the search and rescue operations," J.P. Smith, Cape Town council's safety chief, told AFP after the explosion at the Rheinmetall-Denel plant in Somerset West.