The death toll from a boiler blast at a power plant in central India has risen to 19, a police officer said on Wednesday, noting 17 others were injured.

The explosion occurred Tuesday at a facility operated by Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of London-listed Vedanta Resources, in Chhattisgarh state's Sakti district.

"A high-level investigation into this incident has been initiated... We will leave no stone unturned in getting to the bottom of this matter," Anil Agarwal, chairman of Vedanta Resources, said in a statement.

Chhattisgarh state authorities have also launched a probe, with chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai vowing the "strictest possible action" against those found guilty.