Hyderabad/IBNS: The death toll in the blast that took place at a chemical reactor factory in Telangana rose to 42 on Tuesday morning, media reports said.

The death count was 12 at midnight and it further shot up this morning as more bodies were recovered from debris by the rescuers.

The rescue operation is in the last leg, police said.

The blast took place at an industrial unit at Pashamailaram near Hyderabad.

It occurred at around 9 am.

The eyewitnesses claim the blast was so impactful that the entire factory collapsed and the workers' bodies tossed in the air and fell several metres away.

The fire had spread to other buildings in the adjoining areas.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, who is expected to visit the site on Tuesday, has appointed a high-powered committee to review and investigate the mishap and its underlying causes, his office said.

"The five-member committee comprises the Chief Secretary, Special Chief Secretary (Disaster Management), Principal Secretary (Labour), Principal Secretary (Health), and Additional DGP (Fire Services). In addition to investigating this incident, the panel has been tasked with submitting recommendations on preventing such accidents in the future," the Chief Minister's Office stated.