A blast at a factory in Beijing's Shunyi district early Tuesday morning killed four people and left another 10 in hospital with injuries, local authorities said.

The blast happened at 3:07 am in a bean-processing factory.

An ensuing fire was put out at 3:40 am.

Four people were confirmed dead and the remaining 10 are in stable situation and undergoing medical treatment at hospital, the district government said.

The factory is part of Kyo-Nichi Todai Foods Co, which is owned by Tokyo Boeki Holdings Corporation in Japan.

The company mainly processes paste products like beans, yams, vegetables and fruits, with annual output of about 70,000 metric tons.

The local city and district governments launched an emergency rescue mechanism, confirming the situation of each employee who was at work when the incident happened.

The Beijing municipal government will carry out a citywide safety inspection soon to ensure production and firefighting safety.