At least two people were killed and 19 wounded when an acetone tank exploded in a pharmaceutical plant in the Canadian province of Quebec, officials said.
The explosion of the 15,000-liter (4,000-gallon) tank occurred Thursday afternoon at Neptune Technologies in the town of Sherbrooke, some 150 kilometers (90 miles) east of Montreal.
Police spokesman Rene Dubreuil confirmed that rescuers had recovered two bodies, adding that they found a third person who was buried but not injured.
Nineteen people were hospitalized after the accident, police said.
Within minutes of the explosion local television showed a plume of black smoke over the town, but authorities said there was no risk of contamination as winds had dispersed the gases that were released.
The entire industrial area was evacuated, and a large contingent of firefighters was deployed to cool down nearby chemical tanks.
It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion.
Two dead in explosion at Quebec pharma plant
