Fifteen people were injured and two are unaccounted for after an explosion on Wednesday at a gunpowder factory in southwest Poland, firefighters said.

The victims were injured by flying shards. Four people were taken away by ambulances, while others who were injured received medical assistance at the site.

The two people who have not been accounted for may not have been in the factory at the time of the blast, said Aleksander Kucharczyk from the regional fire brigade headquarters in Wrocław, southwest Poland.

Twenty-two teams of firefighters arrived at the site of the incident, in the village of Mąkolno, including a search and rescue group.

The blast took place at about 10am on Wednesday.

Polish media reported that a cloud of smoke was visible from a distance of several kilometres from the factory.

(pk)

Source: IAR/PAP