At least 10 workers were killed and 40 injured in an explosion of gas cylinders in a chemical factory in the Dhule district of Maharashtra on Saturday morning, police said.

At least 100 workers were in the factory in Waghadi village in Shirpur taluka when the explosion happened around 9:45 am, a senior police officer said.

'Ten workers were killed and 40 injured in the explosion,' Dhule superintendent of police Vishwas Pandhare said.

Several teams of police, disaster management, fire brigade were conducting rescue operations at the site.

Union home minister Amit Shah Saturday spoke to Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis about he blast.

'Anguished to learn about the loss of lives due to explosion at a chemical factory in Dhule, Maharashtra. Have spoken to CM @Dev_Fadnavis, state govt is doing everything possible to assist the people in need. My condolences with the bereaved families. May injured recover soon,' Shah tweeted.

Written with PTI inputs