Quick facts on unplanned explosions at munitions sites (UEMS)—November 2026 update

Between January 1979 and June 2026, almost 32,000 casualties resulting from UEMS incidents were recorded. The highest number of casualties was recorded in 2002, mainly due to the devastating UEMS incident that occurred in Lagos, Nigeria. More recently, in 2026, an incident in Musaga, Burundi, killed 13 people and injured 57.

This data shows the importance of adopting effective measures to prevent and reduce the number of UEMS while mitigating the consequences for the victims of these incidents. The Global Framework for Through-life Conventional Ammunition Management (GFA) represents an opportunity to enhance the prevention and mitigation of UEMS. The UEMS database is a tool to support the monitoring of activities designed to implement relevant objectives of the GFA.

See also the full database and interactive map