Mandsaur, Mar 30 (PTI) Fire broke out at a spice manufacturing unit in an industrial area in Madhya Pradesh's Mandsaur district on Sunday morning, gutting equipment and products on the premises, an official said.
There were no reports of injuries in the blaze that erupted around 8.30 am, the official said.
Nearby fire brigades were alerted, and the blaze was brought under control in two hours, area sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Shivlal Shakya told PTI.
While no one was in the factory when the fire broke out, the fire alarms were sounded for safety reasons, alerting the nearby industrial units.
Superintendent of Police Abhishekh Anand said an investigation is on to determine the cause of the fire and the losses.
When contacted, factory owner Manohar Mulchandani said spices such as chilli, turmeric and coriander were processed and ground at the facility.
He claimed machines worth more than Rs 70 lakh and ready spices worth crores of rupees were destroyed in the blaze.
Mulchandani said no workers were on the premises when the fire broke out, and the cause is yet to be ascertained.