Explosion at chemical plant in Scotland: 4 people injured

Explosion at chemical plant in Scotland: 4 people injured

An explosion at a GlaxoSmithKline plant in Scotland on Thursday injured four workers, police said.

The blast occurred at 7 a.m. (0700 GMT) at the company's Actives plant in the city of Irvine, where raw chemicals used in the production of malaria and HIV drugs are treated. The cause was being investigated, police said.

About 20 employees were working in the building at the time. The explosion heavily damaged one side of the factory, police said. Two workers with serious burns and two suffering from smoke inhalation were hospitalized, the Scottish Ambulance Service said.

The building is not located near a residential area.

GlaxoSmithKline, a British-based pharmaceutical company, said the plant was closed as a result of the explosion, reports the AP.

I.L.