“Our Son Blood Is on Sethi’s Hands,” human casualty of oxygen cylinder explosion family alarms
Monrovia, Liberia: Family members, including the aunt and elder brother of Saah J. Samukai, an employee of the Sethi Ferro Fabrik Steel Factory who met his unfortunate death in a shattered oxygen cylinder expulsion on late Monday, February 17, 2025, have accused the company of allegedly masterminding their loved one's death.
The explosion, which occurred around 6:20 PM, from the oxygen department of the factory sent shockwaves through the community, leaving residents in disbelief and emergency services scrambling to respond.
The blast resulted in the tragic death of Saah, while several others were badly wounded. The injured victims were swiftly rushed to nearby health facilities for urgent treatment.
The 36-year-old is said to have worked with Sethi Ferro Fabrik since 2017.
This is the second time such an explosion has taken place at Sethi Ferro Fabrik Steel Factory; in August 2021, seven workers, including four Liberians and three Indians, were involved in an explosion at the Steel Factory.
The company, in a statement copy of which is in the possession of Knews and released on Tuesday, February 18, 2025, following the event, described the incident as tragic while expressing its condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues.
"We have initiated immediate engagement with the family of the deceased, identified as Saah Samukai, offering support during this difficult time." Our thoughts and sincere condolences go out to the family, friends, and colleagues affected by this tragic loss," the management of Sethi Ferro Fabrik said.
The company, through its communication department, said it is fully cooperating with local authorities to aid the investigation.
"Our employees are the heart of our operations, and their safety is our top priority. This loss is deeply painful for all of us," stated the management. "We will do everything in our power to support the family of Mr. Samukai and work alongside the authorities to understand and address this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the bereaved family, and we will continue to provide the necessary support during this difficult period." The statement
Speaking to Knews, Robert Samukai, the deceased older brother, accused the steel production company of negligence homicide owing to the company’s failure to provide full protective gear for their family member.
Samukai accused the company of harboring an ulterior motive when they hastily transported Saah’s remains to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital without the involvement of the Liberia National Police (LNP) and relatives of the deceased.
According to Samukai, the lack of respect for Saah’s corpse on the part of the company clearly indicates that it has no remorse or regret for such a devastating occurrence.
Robert has vowed not to pursue the matter, insisting that the family not compromise the case, as they believed the company should be held fully responsible for the tragic death of their relative.
“We’re not going to let this one slide,” Robert said. “They have been doing this for a long time; this is not the first incident. When witchcraft is somewhere killing people, there is not one child they will kill, and their secret will come to light; Saah is that child who will expose the deeds of Sethi company,” Robert said in a sorrowful tone.
Robert is not alone in his suspicion that there was a foul play in Saah's death that was masterminded by company. Madam Elizabeth Samukai believes her nephew's death was an engineer by the company.
Like Robert, she vowed to ensure that justice was served in her nephew's untimely death.
“We want the government to come in and investigate, because this is not the first occurrence. Last year, a similar situation happened where four Liberian citizens lost their lives. How can you operate an industrial factory without safety measures for employees?” Elizabeth questioned.
“We have even been told in secret by some workers that the certain dangerous chemical they worked with here has no means of measuring,” Madam Samukai added.
The late Samukai aunty scolds the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), levying a US$5,000 fine against the company, accusing the company of shielding the company.
“How can you equate human life with money? More besides, an amount of US$5000. Is the EPA convinced that the fine can serve as a deterrent against the company's disregard for industrial safety policy?” Madam Elizabeth wonders.
One employee who spoke to Knews on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal confirmed Madam Elizabeth’s suspicion.
According to our source, the working environment at the Sethi Ferro Fabeik Steel Production Company is like choosing between life and death. The source told Knews that climaxing your twelve-hour working shift without sustaining a major injury is counted as a blessing due to the lack of protective gear and safety regulations.
Unlike our anonymous co-chairman, Emmanuel P. Smith did not conceal his frustration over the death of his workmate. He confirmed to Knews that the management of the Sethi Ferro Febiek company careless about black workers safety.
According to Smith, whose anger was visible while speaking to Knews, the work load in the company is far higher than the 383 workers can handle. He said for this reason, the employees are mandated to work for twelve hours for a meager salary ranging from US$175 to US$260.
Smith disclosed to Knews that the voltage regulator at the factory site has no alarm to alert workers in terms of pending danger, while adding that the situation has been a major source of fear with workers looking over their shoulder for any impending danger.
Smith described the decreased as an easy-going, fun-loving person who did not deserve to die in such a horrific manner.
When Knews established contact, Inspector Jacob J. Suah, Deputy Chief of Homicide of the Liberia National Police, declined to comment on the outcome of the crime scene investigation.
The LNP Deputy Chief of Homicide refers Knews to Police Spokesperson Cecelia Clarke, whose phone (0770-800-122) rang endlessly without response.
Knews curiosity regarding the crime scene was fuelled by a tipoff from an anonymous employee who worked on the night shift on the evening of the incident. The nameless source hinted that some night shift employees were allegedly given money by the management to temper with the crime scene in an attempt to conceal evidence of a lack of safety measures at the deceased working station.
In addition to engaging the police, Knews also made contact with the Ministry of Labor to ascertain the ministry's knowledge about labor abuse and safety rules at the Sethi Ferro Febiek Steel Factory.
In response to our inquest, Deputy Labor Inspector General Darius K. Weamie confirmed that a team comprised of Labor Inspectors had gone on the crime scene to gather information about the company's compliance in terms of labor-related matters ranging from health to safety.
“As a team from the Ministry of Labor, we have come to do the aspect that has to do with Labor that is health and safety because every company in Liberia needs to have health and safety, and the health and safety person needs to speak to us as to why happened.”
When quizzed as to whether or not the Labor Inspectorate team had visited the Sethi Steel factory to ascertain information regarding health and safety measures prior to Monday, February 10, 2025, the Deputy Labor Inspector General could not provide a definite response as he fumbled in his response to Knews inquiry.
Sethi Steel Factory has recently come under scrutiny due to a series of alarming industrial incidents. Numerous reports indicate that poor safety measures have frequently endangered the lives of employees, leading to growing safety concerns.
The Monday, February 17, 2025, explosion has rocked the Sethi Ferro Fabrik Steel Factory in Chicken Soup Factory for the second time in less than four years, leaving one dead and another critically injured.
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