At least 6 labourers were killed and more than a dozen were injured after a boiler exploded in a noodle-making factory in Bihar’s Muzaffarpur of India, officials said on Sunday.

They added rescue operations are underway even as further details on the accident are awaited. The death toll is expected to rise.

Identities of people who died in the accident are yet to be ascertained. It is not known how many people were working at the factory at the time of the accident.

According to Hindustan Times’ sister publication Live Hindustan, the explosion was so strong that it was heard 5-km away from the site of the blast. At least 5 fire brigades were rushed to extinguish the flames.

People familiar with the matter said adjacent establishments were also damaged in the explosion. Those living in the vicinity said they heard a loud thud when the explosion rocked the factory.

The exact cause of the incident could not be known immediately.

Meanwhile, the factory gates have been closed.

Source: Hindustan Times