Wall collapse at salt packaging factory kills 12, injures 13 in west India, government says

NEW DELHI — A wall collapsed in a salt packaging factory in western India on Wednesday, killing at least 12 workers and injuring another 13, a government administrator said.

The workers stocking salt in bags were found buried in the wall debris in the factory in Morbi district, 135 miles west of Gandhinagar, the capital of Gujarat state, said J.B. Patel, the district officer.

The injuries of 13 workers, mostly fractured bones, were not life-threatening, Patel said.

He also said that the rescue work was almost over. Other details were not immediately available.

Authorities were investigating the cause of the wall collapse.

Wheat exports:India bans exports of wheat, citing threat to food security as global prices spike  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the deaths as heartrending. "In this hour of grief, my thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon," he said.

Building collapses are common in India as many of building are poorly constructed using substandard material. A building collapse in 2013 killed at least 72 people in Mumbai, India's financial and entertainment capital.

What's everyone talking about?:Sign up for our trending newsletter