Hyderabad, Dec 19 (IANS): Two employees were killed in a huge fire at a pharmaceutical company at Patancheru near here, police said.

The fire broke out Sunday at the chemical factory of Rantus Pharma in Pashamylaram industrial area of Patancheru in Medak district, about 50 km from Hyderabad. The factory was completely gutted.

Two employees working at the factory did not return home Sunday. Their families lodged a complaint with the police. Investigators Monday found skeletal remains of the missing employees in the rubble. The dead have been identified as stores manager Ravindranath and worker Ram Singh.

It was earlier believed that only six workers had been injured in the fire.

According to police, the fire engulfed the factory after a reactor exploded due to an electrical short-circuit. The fire broke out in the evening, and spread to neighboring factories. Fire-fighting personnel had to battle for five hours to control the flames.

This is the second such accident in three days. Four workers of a chemical factory were killed in a reactor blast at Polepalli Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Jadcherla in Mahabubnagar district near Hyderabad last Friday.