Seven dead in Nepal brick factory collapse

A chimney at a brick factory collapsed in Nepal on Monday, killing seven people and injuring at least 19 others, a local official said.

Rescue teams used excavators to dig through the rubble after the 20-foot high chimney collapsed inNepal's southeastern Sunsari district.

"Seven people have died and 19 injured were taken to the hospital," local district chief Rabi Lal Pant told AFP.

Pant said all those who were trapped at the site had been rescued.

"We will now investigate why the chimney fell," he said.

Over 850 brick kilns operate in Nepal, employing thousands of labourers from across the country as well as from neighbouring India.

The factory owners often face flak over lax safety standards and employing underage children. The impact of the smoke-spewing chimneys on the environment is also a cause of concern.