SINGARAYAKONDA: Tobacco worth Rs 550 crore was destroyed in a major fire that broke out during the small hours of Friday at a Tobacco factory here in Prakasam district.

According to police, the factory management claimed that about 11,000 tonnes of tobacco was gutted when flames engulfed the factory's ‘A' and ‘B' blocks during wee hours. However, no casualties were reported in the incident.

“Tobacco worth nearly Rs 550 crore was gutted in a massive fire that broke at the tobacco factory in Prakasam district, fire was brought under control, however, thick smoke is emitting from site,” an official told PTI.

The cause of the accident is under investigation while all other factories were advised to strictly adhere to safety standards.

Police, fire personnel, and factory staff rushed to the scene soon after receiving the alert and initiated measures to control the blaze, said the official. Five fire engines were deployed, and firefighting operations are on to contain the flames smoke.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Prakasam District V Harshavardhan Raju inspected the site and reviewed the incident with officials of the concerned departments and instructed them to identify the cause of the fire and submit a detailed report at the earliest.

The official quoted the factory authorities as saying that it was due to short circuit. But, an investigation is underway to ascertain the exact cause and verify the claimed losses.

Meanwhile, police have registered a case and are investigating.