Six people died in an explosion and fire at a sugar refinery in the US state of Georgia, a fire official said today.
Dozens of people were injured, some seriously burned, in Thursday's blast, which apparently happened in a bagging room at the Imperial Sugar Co plant in Port Wentworth, a suburb of Savannah.
Georgia Fire Commissioner John Oxendine told CNN six people died. He said earlier that others in the building could have survived the blast by escaping to an underground bunker.
"We have confirmed six dead," he said.
Firefighters were still trying to put out some flames.
About 100 people were in the plant along the banks of the Savannah River when the blast ripped through at about 7.20pm. (0020 GMT), police said.
Texas-based Imperial Sugar, the largest processor and refiner of sugar in the United States, said in a statement today it did not know how long the refinery would be closed and that the extent of damage was under investigation.
About 38 people were taken to the hospital but the number of people with minor injuries was higher, police spokesman Sgt. Mike Wilson said on Thursday.
Emergency personnel headed to the scene from throughout the area, the Savannah Morning Newsnewspaper said. Doctors also flew in from Augusta, Georgia, to provide assistance.
The refiner produces the Imperial Sugar brand in Texas and the Dixie Crystals brand in the southeast, according to a company website.