NEW DELHI, March 2 (Xinhua) -- The death toll in a massive blast inside an industrial explosives manufacturing factory in the western Indian state of Maharashtra has risen to 19, officials said Monday.
Twenty-three others injured in the blast are undergoing treatment at various hospitals.
The blast at SBL Energy Limited took place on Sunday morning at Raulgaon village of Nagpur district, about 791 km northeast of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra.
"Today, an injured worker succumbed in the hospital, thus taking the death toll to 19," a police official said.
The local government has ordered a probe to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Meanwhile, police have arrested nine directors of SBL Energy Limited, and efforts are underway to apprehend the remaining accused in the case.
A local government minister, Chandrashekhar Bawankule, told the media that there was "negligence" on the part of SBL Energy Limited, and safety measures were not followed by the explosives manufacturer. ■