At least 13 people were charred to death and four persons injured in a massive fire that broke out at a firecracker shop-cum-godown in Attibele in rural Bengaluru near the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border on Saturday, officials said.

The incident took place around 3:30pm when workers were unloading firecrackers from a transport vehicle, police said.

Fire and emergency services received a call at 3.33pm, a senior official in the fire department said, adding that nine vehicles, including water tankers and water lorries, were pressed into service. Over 100 personnel from the fire and emergency services and the police continued their efforts till late at night to contain the blaze, a fire department official said.

Police said that around 20 people were present in the godown at the time of the incident, with some still unaccounted for as of Saturday night.

Bengaluru (rural) superintendent of police (SP) Mallikarjuna Baladandi confirmed the recovery of 13 charred bodies from the site, all of which have been transported to the hospital. He said that the majority of the casualties were employees working at the firecracker godown and shop.

“Some employees were working inside the shop when the fire broke out. Search operations are still underway. Police are currently working to establish the identities of the deceased,” the SP said.

Many workers hailed from Amnapettai, Kallakurichi district of Tamil Nadu, having arrived for work in anticipation of Deepavali. The shop, located near a liquor store, housed an estimated ₹5 crore worth of firecrackers, according to the police.

Following the incident, police and fire officials carried out evacuations of shops and residences in the vicinity and the entire area was cordoned off. Traffic on the highway was also diverted, as the accident site was located near the road, police said.

While the exact cause of the accident has yet to be determined by the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory), preliminary suspicion suggests that an electric wire within the godown may have sparked the fire, said police.

Authorities are awaiting the opportunity to interview the injured for further information.

Chief minister Siddaramaiah expressed grief over the tragic incident and announced a Rs. 5 lakh compensation to the kin of the deceased in the fire. The CM would visit the accident spot on Sunday for an inspection.

Bharatiya Janata Party MP A Narayanaswamy said that a search for another body is underway. “Earthmovers have been deployed to remove the debris and identify the bodies. How permission was given to store such amounts of firecrackers in the godown needs to be investigated. I have asked the police to do the needful,” he said.