AHMEDABAD: At least 12 workers were killed Wednesday when part of a chemical warehouse collapsed following a powerful blast in western India, officials said.

A fire official said the dead included five women and nine other people were injured in the incident at an industrial complex on the outskirts of Ahmedabad, a major city in western Gujarat state.

“The death toll has increased to 12 which includes five women. Nine people are injured and undergoing treatment in hospital,” a fire control room duty officer told AFP.

Those hurt were undergoing treatment, he added.

Eyewitnesses told reporters that the explosion ripped apart the walls of the building, including a textile facility that operated from the complex.—AFP