26 Sep 2009

More bodies found under collapsed chimney

9:00 am on 26 September 2009

Rescue workers in India have recovered more bodies after an accident at a power plant in the state of Chhattisgarh, but officials warn that the death toll could rise.

The BBC reports the death toll is now 36.

Officials say a chimney caved-in on workers during construction at a thermal power plant in Korba district on Wednesday. It is not yet clear what caused the accident.

A search for bodies is continuing in the debris. Cranes and heavy earth-moving equipment are being used to shift the remains of the collapsed chimney.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh said a judicial inquiry had been ordered into the accident.

A recent report by the UN's International Labour Organisation said that nearly 50,000 people die from work-related accidents or illness every year in India