MYSORE: Tension gripped Nanjangud industrial suburb late on Thursday as angry villagers pelted stones at a pharmaceutical factory that caught fire injuring at least four employees of the unit.Scores of villagers have left Kalahalli that abuts

fearing a chemical leak.

In 2009, the staff fell ill due to leakage of toxic gas, which heightened the anxiety of the villagers. They want to be relocated away from the pharma unit.It all started at 4.30pm when villagers noticed thick smoke billowing out of the unit located 5 km from the temple town. They quickly left the village to safer places while a section of angry villagers pelted stones at the guards posted at the main gate.

Officer P Niranjan attached to

told TOI that the fire mishap was at the site where authorities have stored used carbon and residue of a solvent in a shed. It accidentally caught fire, which, he said, could be due to the hot weather. Nanjangud tahsildar Naveen Joseph and cops rushed to the spot. Later in the evening, deputy director of factories B V Ravi Kumar visited the site. Kumar said he will ascertain whether there were any lapses on the part of the pharmaceutical company.According to company officials, the four employees were injured while trying to fight the fire and were rushed to Mysore hospital. SP R Dileep told TOI that there was a small fire mishap inside the factory godown triggering protests by villagers.In 1998 a similar accident killed four employees after they inhaled toxic gas.

Ravikumar told The Times of India that action will be initiated against the management if there are any lapses. “The fire was at the dumpyard where wastes were stored for incineration. The company has an incineration plant to burn the waste generated from the company,” he stated.