Moscow - At least four people were killed and four seriously injured on Tuesday in an explosion at a Siberian chemical plant, the Interfax news agency reported, citing emergency response authorities.

The blast occurred at a factory producing dichloroethane in the city of Sayansk near Irkutsk, 5 000 kilometres east of Moscow.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately known, and there were no reports of environmental damage.

Dichloroethane is an oily, colourless, flammable and highly toxic liquid that is used as a solvent and used to produce PVC, or polyvinyl chloride. It can cause serious organ damage.

News agencies reported that the blast occurred at a plant belonging to Russia's largest PVC manufacturer, Sayanskchimplast. - Sapa-dpa

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