Woman killed after a Fire Extinguisher Cylinder explodes in scrap metal shack
A 25-year-old woman, identified as Mengi Waziri, was killed after an old Fire Extinguishing Cylinder exploded, with its parts flying off and hitting her on the head.
According to the Police Statement, the incident occurred at about 11.30 am on the 18th of October 2025 at the Masiwa area of Dunda Ward in Bagamoyo District within the Pwani (Coastal) region.
It was reported that a scrap metal collector known as Mussa Rashid, aged 19, was doing his usual rounds in the area, gathering discarded pieces of metal.
Mussa then came across the 20-kilogram cylinder of Carbon Dioxide Fire Extinguisher, which was among the various scrap metal collections bundled at the make-shift shed belonging to one James Machiwa, a resident of Dunda.
The hut is usually used to collect all scrap metals, bottles and other useful garbage that can be either recycled, re-used or sold to other collectors in the locality.
Taking charge of the shack was one Joseph Andrea, who is believed to be a servant working for James Machiwa the hut owner who at that time happened to be away.
Mussa Rashid, saw the discarded fire extinguisher cylinder and got interested in it.
He apparently wanted to either dismantle it for easy portability or simply got curious, when he asked Andrea for a hammer, or something heavy.
Mussa then proceeded to hit the top of the Carbon Dioxide like he was trying to take the cork off.
Suddenly the entire top mechanism flew off the fire extinguisher, upon impact, which means the cylinder could have still been filled with the CO2 compressed gas.
The extinguisher’s metallic top mechanism shot off towards a nearby farm where the unsuspecting lady, the late Mengi Waziri, was innocently going about her usual chores.
The metallic cylinder cap, which shot off from the fire extinguisher flew on and hit the deceased onto the head killing her instantly.
Cases of metallic objects exploding and injuring or killing innocent people are common in the country and police have cautioned local residents to take care of strange items, especially scrap metals.