2 killed, 2 injured in blast at pharmaceutical factory in India's Gujarat

NEW DELHI, Feb. 28 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and two others injured after a blast took place at a pharmaceutical factory in India's western state of Gujarat, police said Tuesday.

The blast took place late Monday night at Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) in Sarigam of the Valsad district, about 398 km south of Gandhinagar, the capital city of Gujarat.

The blast also triggered a fire in the factory and a portion of the building there collapsed.

"A blast took place in Ven Petrochem and Pharma private limited during late at night. Two persons were killed, and two others injured in the incident," a police official said. "The injured persons were immediately rushed to a nearby hospital."

According to officials, the fire caused panic in the area as the factory was in the vicinity of other chemical units.

Following the fire, authorities rushed firefighters to the spot to contain the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby units.

The cause of the blast was not immediately known.

Police have registered a case and ordered an investigation into the blast.