At least five persons were killed and ten others injured after a blast in a glass factory in Telangana's Ranga Reddy district on Friday, officials said.
The injured persons were rushed to hospitals for treatment, they said, adding that one of them was in a serious condition.
The blast, which took place at the Shadnagar factor at around 4:30 pm, occurred in a furnace in the factory which officials believed was due to overheating.
The impact of the blast was so massive that some people were even thrown around. It was noted that some 100 people were present in the factory, but the impact was felt up to 20-30 metres.
Most of the deceased belonged to other states including Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, claimed a trade union leader.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy reportedly asked officials to shift the injured persons to hospitals and provide them with all the necessary treatment.
Reddy also directed that personnel from revenue, police, fire, labour, industries and health departments stay at the spot and coordinate the relief efforts.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working President KT Rama Rao condoled the death of the workers in the blast and appealed to the state government to immediately conduct a safety audit, asking them to review the disaster management plans in all industrial areas to prevent the occurrence of such an event again in the future.
According to the website of the South Glass Pvt Ltd, the firm manufactures automotive and architectural glass.
(With PTI inputs)
