1 killed, 1 injured in blast at Indian Oil Corp's plant

NEW DELHI, Dec. 27 (Xinhua) -- One person was killed and another injured Wednesday in a blast in a state-run Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) plant in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, officials said.

The blast took place at IOCL's facility at Tondiarpet in Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu.

"Today, a welder working inside IOCL terminal in Tondiarpet was killed and another worker injured after an ethanol tank burst with a loud bang," a police official said. "It is believed that during maintenance of the ethanol tanks, a small fire led to the blast."

The injured worker, who suffered severe burns, was removed to the Government Stanley Hospital.

Reports said immediately after the blast fire tenders were rushed to the spot.

"When we arrived, the fire had already been doused as the IOCL has in-house arrangements and fire safety mechanisms," a fire services official was quoted by a local television channel as having said.

Police have registered a case and ordered an investigation to ascertain the reasons that caused the blast.