30 dead, 38 injured in Iran factory fire

Arak: Iran's state media say at least 30 people have died and 38 were injured in an explosion caused by fire at a factory in central Iran.

The fire broke out during welding work at the plant which produces cosmetics and detergent near the city of Arak in central Iran, the official IRNA news agency reports.

IRNA says the fire quickly spread to other parts of the plant and a container holding 60,000 liters of chemicals exploded, causing many of the deaths. IRNA reported 23 of the injured suffered extensive burns.

Fire fighters and rescue teams were dispatched to the site of the explosion.