At least four persons were killed and several injured in a fire at a pharmaceutical factory in Andhra Pradesh’s Anakapalli district on Wednesday, NDTV reported.

The fire broke out at an Escientia Company plant in the Achutapuram Special Economic Zone.

District Collector Vijaya Krishnan denied reports that the factory’s chemical reactor had exploded, reported PTI.

Unidentified officials told the news agency that the fire may have been caused by faulty electrical machinery.

The blaze reportedly broke out during lunchtime when most staffers were not at work, averting a bigger disaster.

The district collector said that 13 persons who were inside the factory at the time of the accident were rescued. The injured persons have been taken to the district’s NTR Hospital.