Chemical plant blast kills nearly 40 in India

Chemical plant blast kills nearly 40 in India

A blast at a chemical plant in the southern Indian state of Telangana has killed nearly 40 people and injured dozens more, hospitalising them. The blast occurred in the plant's reactor unit on Monday morning, causing the industrial building to collapse and causing a fire. The death toll had initially been put at 12, but by Tuesday morning the toll had risen to 36.
Telangana's health minister Damodar Rajanarasimha said the blast was so powerful that some workers were thrown into the air and fell up to 100 metres (330 feet) away. There were about 90 people in the plant at the time of the incident. The local government has launched an official inquiry into the incident. The final stages of rescue operations are underway.