SHENZHEN - Three people were killed and another one was badly injured after a factory fire in South China's Guangdong province on Saturday afternoon, local authorities said.

The accident happened at about 1:05 pm when a fire broke out at the Shenzhen Qianyuan Vacuum Technology Co Ltd in Shenzhen City.

Initial investigation found that workers violated safety regulations and used naphtha, a number of flammable liquid mixtures of hydrocarbons, to wash the floor.

The fire was put out at 1:50 pm.