HANGZHOU, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Firefighters spent more than 10 hours putting out a workshop fire Wednesday at an electronic company in east China's Zhejiang province, with no casualty reported so far.

    The fire, which broke out at 7:42 a.m. on Wednesday at the Interplex Electronic (HZ) Co., Ltd in Hangzhou, the provincial capital, destroyed a workshop at the second floor of the building and sent out toxic gas.

    The city's fire control bureau sent more than 100 firefighters and 29 fire engines to the site. Firefighters are cleaning the site and the city's environment protection department has sent experts to evaluate the damage caused by the fire, according to the city's publicity department.

    Investigation shows the company had put explosion-prone chemicals like hydrochloric acid and sulphuric acid and plastic in the workshop, which burnt in the fire and sent out irritating black smoke.

    The city's environment authority has strengthened air quality monitoring in the company neighborhood and a report on the fire pollution may be ready in two days.

    "The smoke sent by the fire is especially harmful to the respiratory system. Luckily, the company is located in an economic development zone, which is far away from the populated area," said an expert with the environment protection office, who declined to give his name.

    Established in 1996, the Interplex Electronic (HZ) Co., Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of the U.S.-based Interplex Industries group. It was moved to its current location in 2000, covering an area of about 20,000 square meters.

    Investigation into the cause of the fire is underway.