7 dead in UK factory blast
LONDON, England (CNN) -- The death toll from an explosion at a plastics factory in the Scottish city of Glasgow has risen to seven, police said Wednesday.
Five people died at the scene of Tuesday's blast, and two others died later at the hospital, Strathclyde police said.
At least 40 others were injured in the explosion at the Stockline Plastics factory -- 15 seriously.
The blast took place at about noon near the center of the city. There was no fire, and atmospheric tests indicated there was no airborne chemical release.
Emergency services were still at the scene Wednesday. Rescuers had been using sniffer dogs, heat and ultrasound detectors to check for any victims that might have been trapped in the rubble.
The fire brigade said early investigations indicated the explosion was an industrial accident; police earlier ruled out terrorism as a cause.
A worker at a car showroom directly opposite the building told the Press Association: "Our building shook. We ran out and could not believe what we saw. It had completely collapsed. There was smoke, bricks, concrete, rubble everywhere.
"It was such a big bang, tiles in our showroom fell off the ceiling and the ground seemed to move."
Glasgow Evening Times reporter Stewart Patterson told Sky News: "The building has been almost completely flattened into a pile of rubble, the debris was flying everywhere after the blast, and clouds of smoke are covering the area.
"There's only a small section still standing. ... Quite a crowd has gathered and paramedics and emergency services are digging through the rubble with their hands. it looks like a site after a powerful earthquake."
