Sri Lanka, July 1 -- At least 36 people have been killed and over 30 others injured in a massive explosion inside a chemical factory in the southern Indian state of Telangana, officials said Tuesday.

The death toll swelled due to the recovery of more bodies from the debris during the overnight rescue operation.

The blast took place on Monday in the Pashamylaram industrial area of Patancheru, Sangareddy district, about 48 km northwest of Hyderabad, the capital city of Telangana.

According to officials, the blast took place around 9:48 a.m. (local time) on Monday in the microcrystalline cellulose drying unit of the Sigachi chemical industry.

With the majority of the bodies burnt beyond recognition, authorities have brought in a special ...