Death Toll in Telangana Chemical Factory Explosion Rises to 40

The death toll from an explosion  at an Indian chemical factory rose to 40, the company said Wednesday, as teams scoured the site for a third day. Industrial disasters are common in India, with experts blaming poor planning and lax enforcement of safety rules. Factory owner Sigachi Industries said in a statement that 40 workers were  killed and 33 others injured in the explosion in Sangareddy in India's southern Telangana state. It increases an earlier toll of 36 dead. The company said it offered compensation of 10 million rupees ($116,000) to the families of those killed, while those injured will receive medical support.

The factory makes components that can be included in medical pills. A fire department official told AFP on Wednesday that search operations were  ongoing at the factory site. State Chief Minister Revanth Reddy visited on Tuesday, with a video released by his office showing piles of twisted metal in the wreckage of the factory. Reddy's office said a committee was investigating the cause of the explosion.