Dhule, August 31: A major blast took place at a chemical factory in Maharashtra's Dhule district on Saturday. At least 12 people were killed and 53 others suffered injuries in the explosion. Visuals show thick smoke billowing from the blast site in Waghadi village, Shirpur. According to a report, multiple cylinders exploded inside the chemical factory which led to a huge fire. Several labourers are feared trapped inside the factory. Maharashtra: Factory Blast Kills 2 and Injures 2 in Pune.

Firefighters were at the chemical factory to extinguish the fire which erupted following the blast. Injured persons were rushed to nearby hospitals. The cause of the explosion was not immediately known. Several teams of police, disaster management, fire brigade were engaged in rescue operations. The death toll may rise further. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condoled deaths in the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 Lakh each to the next of the kin of the deceased.

"Prima facie, multiple cylinders exploded at the factory. At least eight bodies have been recovered by police and rescue teams so far. Rescue operation is on," an officer from Shirpur police station was quoted by India Today as saying. At least 100 workers were present inside the factory when the incident occurred, a senior police officer told PTI.

"Although we are investigating the exact reason for the blast, the initial feedback that we have got is that a boiler of the factory exploded that led to the outbreak of the fire," police officials were quoted as saying.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 31, 2019 02:00 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).