Chemical Factory Blast Kills 11 in India The Associated Press Published: May 31, 2001

NEW DELHI, India (AP) - A powerful explosion ripped through a chemical factory in western India on Thursday, killing at least 11 workers and injuring 10 others, a news report said. Police believe the blast was caused by a buildup of pressure in the factory's main boiler, the Press Trust of India news agency said.

Thirty-five workers were on the night shift when the explosion took place at the Expogel India Ltd. factory in Pune, a city 70 miles southeast of Bombay, police officer Sridhar Pandurang Jadhav was quoted as saying.

The factory makes guanidine nitrate, which is used in chemical explosives.

Jadhave was quoted as saying that there was no evidence of sabotage.

Police used earth-moving machines and a crane to clear the debris.

AP-ES-05-31-01 1134EDT

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA0NGCQENC.html

-- Carl Jenkins (somewherepress@aol.com), May 31, 2001