TWO victims of an explosion at a plastics factory in Glasgow were being treated for severe burns last night.

A further four workers, aged 19, 20, 36, and 42, were taken to hospital with less serious injuries after the blast in Petershill Road, Springburn.

Witnesses told of how they saw a "big orange flash" and heard a bang coming from the building belonging to James G Carrick & Co, a plastic bottles and containers manufacturer.

Six ambulances, a helicopter and three fire engines were sent to the factory, where they were met by staff escaping the site.

Craig Shaw, a divisional officer with Strathclyde Fire Brigade, said: "There were employees running around the yard. Officers were met with smoke and heat. Casualties were conveyed from the building and passed on to the ambulance service.

"There is no risk of any further explosion. It's too early to say if this was a chemical blast." Lyndsey Paton, 17, a machine operator at the factory, said: "Me and my friend were working on our machines.

"I went to talk to her and I heard a loud explosion. There was an orange flash, it must have been the f lames."

One local resident said: "I was in my flat across the road when it happened. The whole building seemed to shake, and I just rushed outside."

George Gorman, another employee, said: "I heard an explosion and everybody started running out. One of the machines blew up. It's either been too much hydrogen put in, or something's ignited it."

A woman, whose brother works in the plant, said: "He's in there. The police keep telling us that there's no-one left in the building, but I've not seen him come out and he's not answering his phone."

A Strathclyde Police spokeswoman said no-one was trapped in the building and homes close to the site did not have to be evacuated.

The two men with severe burns were taken to the Royal Infirmary in Glasgow, where doctors described their condition as "serious". The other four injured were admitted to Stobhill hospital with minor burns.

There appeared to be no structural damage to the building, where 30 people are employed.

A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said an inspector had been sent to the scene, adding: "He will be trying to establish what happened, how it happened, if anyone is at fault and what lessons can be learned."

A team from Strathclyde Fire Brigade was also sent to investigate the cause of the blast No-one from James G Carrick & Co would comment on the explosion.