The blast on Monday  occurred at the

Somerset West-based  Rheinmetall Denel Munition (RDM) depot, a joint venture between Germany’s Rheinmetall Defence and South Africa ‘s state-owned arms maker Denel.

“I can confirm that eight people are dead,” said Theo Layne, a spokesperson of Cape Town’s fire and rescue department.

Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blast, which shook homes and rattled windows in the area.

The company said in a statement that an explosion occurred at one of its buildings but gave no details on fatalities or injuries.

“We are currently investigating the matter,” it said.

RDM manufactures and supplies selected munitions and explosive related products for armed and police forces in South Africa and around the world. DM