NEW DELHI, March 26 (Xinhua) -- After hours of firefighting, a massive fire coupled with deafening explosions inside an ammunition factory in India's central state of Madhya Pradesh was brought under control and contained from spreading, officials said Sunday.
The fire broke out Saturday evening following an explosion at Khamaria ordnance factory in Jabalpur district, about 317 km east of Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh.
"The fire has been brought under control completely," Mahesh Chandra Choudhary, a senior official in Jabalpur told Xinhua over telephone. "The are no reports of anyone being injured or killed in the incident."
Officials said when the fire erupted in evening, majority of workers had left the factory.
Though authorities reportedly rushed around 50 fire tenders to the spot, it took several hours for the firefighters to contain the inferno.
Reports said the fire was triggered after an ammunition shell went off accidentally while being loaded inside one of the buildings in the factory. The subsequent fire ignited series of blasts, the sound of which was heard miles away from the spot.
According to locals, the massive conflagration that took one of the buildings in its grip was visible from a distance.
"We heard sound of several blasts and saw explosive flames and smoke leaping skywards from one of the buildings in the factory premises," Amit Aggarwal, a local resident said. "Initially there were rumours that some people have been caught inside but until late it couldn't be verified."
Local media reports said several people were injured in the blasts and inferno, which was strongly rejected by local officials.
Soon after the fire and blasts, Indian army troops encircled the peripheral area of factory, restricting access to it, locals said.
The factory spreading over 50 acres is a certified government owned unit to manufacture ammunition component and hardware for medium and high calibre ammunition.
Officials have ordered an inquiry into the incident to ascertain the cause of blasts and fire.
