Thane, Jun 10 (IANS): At least one contract worker was killed and four others injured after a blast and fire in a chemical tanker stored in a pharmaceutical company here, a police officer said on Saturday.

The massive explosion, followed by a huge fire occurred around 4 p.m., apparently due to a suspected leakage in a huge tank filled with chemicals.

The factory premises in Ambernath belong to the Navi Mumbai-based Blue Jet Healthcare Ltd., said Assistant Police Inspector Sandeep Bhalerao.

Teams of the fire brigade from Kalyan and surroundings which there managed to douse the blaze within an hour, and the rescue teams recovered the body of a contract worker from the spot, identified as Suryakant B. Jiman, 45.

Four other labourers who sustained burn injuries have been rushed to the CritiCare Hospital in nearby Ulhasnagar town, said API Bhalerao.

The exact causes of the incident are being probed by the police and fire brigade teams here.