Chemical warehouse blast kills 12

AHMEDABAD: An Indian rescue official says 12 people have been killed after a powerful blast and a major fire at a cotton factory warehouse storing chemicals in Western India.

Twelve bodies were recovered from the warehouse on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in Gujarat state, National Disaster Response Force spokesman Krishan Kumar said.

Television images showed several workers fleeing.

Twentyfour fire engines and more than 50 firefighters doused the blaze after several hours, the fire control room said.

A portion of the warehouse collapsed, the Press Trust of India news agency reported.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was ‘‘anguished by the loss of lives due to the fire in the warehouse in Ahmedabad’’.

Some nearby buildings were also damaged, the New Delhi television news channel said. — Reuters