Gopalganj: At least six labourers were killed and 12 others critically injured when a boiler exploded at a sugar mill in Gopalganj district in Bihar, on Wednesday night.

The explosion took place at the Sasa Musa private sugar mill, under the Kuchaykot police station area,143 km northwest of state capital Patna. Four of the injured have been airlifted to Patna by two helicopters and have been admitted to Patna Medical College Hospital. The remaining injured have been taken to Gorakhpur in the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh for treatment.

After the boiler explosion, angry workers went on a rampage in the mill, setting fire to vehicles parked inside the premises, the police said.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Gopalganj, Mrityunjay Kumar said three of those killed had been identified as Arjun Kumar Kushwaha, Kripa Yadav and Mohammad Shamsuddin. He further informed that the condition of some of the injured is stated to be critical.

"Moreover, rescue operations have been disrupted because a group of angry workers indulged in arson, setting fire to the vehicle of the mill owner and a tractor, both of which were parked inside the mill premises", Kumar added.

He further said "we are trying to pacify the angry workers who allege that the boiler had been in need of repair for long but the owner paid no heed. Mill owner Mahmood Ali and his two sons had been detained for safety reasons after angry people went on the rampage on the factory campus. The mob also attacked Ali’s house and set on fire four vehicles parked there." the SSP added.

With inputs from PTI