Death toll rises to 36 following an explosion and fire at a southern India pharmaceutical factory

A massive explosion and fire at a pharmaceutical factory in Telangana, India, has killed at least 36 people

The death toll from Monday's massive explosion and fire at a pharmaceutical factory in India’s southern state of Telangana has risen to at least 36 while about three dozen are injured, authorities said Tuesday.

The fire department recovered the charred bodies of 34 workers from the accident site in an industrial area about 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the state capital Hyderabad, the state’s fire services director G.V. Narayana Rao told The Associated Press.

Two other workers succumbed to burns and were pronounced dead in hospital, Rao said, adding that debris of the gutted pharmaceutical unit of Sigachi Industries was still being removed to find out if any more workers were trapped.

Nearly three dozen injured workers were admitted to hospitals, he said.

“The whole structure of the factory has collapsed. Fire has been doused, and we hope to finish removing the debris in the next few hours,” Rao said.