1 killed, 4 injured in blast at chemical factory in India's Maharashtra

NEW DELHI, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- One worker was killed and four others injured in a blast inside a chemical factory in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, officials said Friday.

The explosion took place on Thursday evening at the factory in Palghar district, about 120 km north of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra.

"The mixing of metal and acid, a highly reactive process, triggered an explosion inside the factory. One of the workers was killed on the spot, while two others sustained extensive burns," Vivekanand Kadam, a local disaster management official, was quoted in local media as having said. "Two more workers stationed a little farther suffered minor injuries."

All the injured were immediately rushed to the nearest hospital, and police have registered a case and ordered an investigation into the explosion.