Three killed, 35 injured in Mumbai factory explosion

MUMBAI: An explosion tore through a chemical plant on Thursday, killing three workers and injuring up to 35 others in Mumbai, officials said.

The cylinder blast occurred around 11:00 am (0630 GMT), sparking a major fire at the manufacturing unit of Indian firm Herbert Brown Pharmaceutical & Research Laboratories in Thane district, just north of Mumbai.

"Three people have been declared dead and 30 to 35 were injured in the factory explosion," Sukhada Narkar, a spokesperson for Thane police, told AFP of the accident in Thane's Dombivali area.

"Saddened to know about the unfortunate & tragic incident that took place at Dombivali," tweeted Devendra Fadnavis, the chief minister of Maharashtra state, of which Mumbai is the capital.

India has a history of fires and other accidents at factories, sometimes because of a lack of safety measures and inspections.