Cameroon's interim mines minister, Fuh Calistus Gentry, ordered Metafrique Steel's foundry in the Bassa industrial zone in Douala to stop operating after a fire at the plant killed five people, the ministry said. The death toll is provisional.
The fire broke out on 2 November 2026. Four of the dead are Cameroonian and one is Indian, the minister said after visiting the General Hospital of Douala, where two injured workers were on respiratory support. The minister called the shutdown a protective measure and said it would last at least until the investigation ends. He did not state its legal basis or duration.
The Voukeng-Tougoua-Kitio lawyers' collective, representing several victims, said in a statement on 2 November 2026 that it would bring civil and criminal proceedings against any person or company found responsible. The collective said the company could not hide behind the accidental nature of the fire and called for an investigation into possible safety failures.
Metafrique Steel has not publicly responded to the allegations. The closure leaves hundreds of jobs at the plant in suspension, and the investigation will determine whether the company can reopen.