Several Killed in Mumbai Chemical Plant Explosion

At least three people are dead and dozens injured after an explosion at a Mumbai-area chemical factory Thursday, multiple news organizations reported.

The blast at the Acharya Chemicals factory in Dombivali – about 20 miles from the Indian capital – happened in the facility’s boiler room, Indian newspaper The Hindu reported, vibrating area businesses and shattering the windows of some buildings within two kilometers of the factory.

“My sister stays thre minutes away from the factory. Every window in her house has been reduced to powdered glass,” Raju Nalawade, an area resident, told the newspaper. “People are scared and confused. There is chaos everywhere.”

A police official told The Hindu that at least three workers were killed in the explosion.

20 fire brigades and 15 ambulances responded to the incident, Thompson Reuters reported, and a disaster response team worked to free several people trapped under debris.  

It is unclear at this time exactly how many people were killed or injured, as the figures contained in media reports vary widely.