Five killed in factory blast

At least five people were killed when an empty boiler tank exploded while being cleaned at a factory here Wednesday, police said.

The blast occurred in the compound of Alfa Packaging, which deals in shampoos, in the Amli industrial area, police officer K. Mahajan told IANS.

Some workers were cleaning the tank when "some residue may have exploded", Mahajan said. A dozen people were injured, some seriously.

He said it was not known whether they were factory employees or outside labourers.

A witness reported seeing two mangled and unrecognizable bodies flung a few metres away on the road.

Silvassa is the capital of Dadra and Nagar Haveli, a union territory located within Gujarat. It is also a popular tourist zone.