New Delhi  - Indian police were questioning employees from a Chinese construction company during their investigations into an accident at a power plant in central India that killed 41 workers, officials said Sunday.

A 100-metre industrial chimney at the power plant which was under construction collapsed in central Chhattisgarh state's district of Korba Wednesday resulting in the casualties.

Operations to clear the rubble continued Sunday as seven workers were being treated at local hospitals.

China's Shandong Electric Power Construction Corporation was one of the firms contracted by Bharat Aluminium Limited (Balco), a subsidiary of London-listed metal and mining group, Vedanta, to build the power plant at Korba, 250 kilometres north of state capital Raipur.

"We are taking statements from five Chinese engineers and workers in connection with our investigation on the accident," district police officer Vivek Sharma said over phone.

"The government has also issued notices against the Chinese employees at all airports and ports of exit so they do not leave the country until they are questioned," he said adding no arrests had been made.

Local news outlets said there were more than 85 Chinese workers and engineers at the plant and several of them may have fled Korba, fearing local anger.

Meanwhile, police and rescue workers said they had gone through most of the rubble.

"We have cleared almost 95 per cent of the rubble and the operation is likely to continue through Sunday to pull out survivors, if any," Sharma said.

Amid rising anger from workers and their kin, the Chhattisgarh government had ordered a judicial probe into whether the builders had failed to comply with safety regulations.

The situation in the town remained tense and police had deployed additional security forces.  dpa