A total of nine people, including three engineers, were found dead inside a hydroelectric plant in Srisailam town of India's southern Telangana state after a fire broke out late Thursday night, officials said on Friday.

Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao sent condolences to the bereaved families, and ordered a comprehensive inquiry by Crime Investigation Department (CID) into the cause of the accident.

Telangana power minister G Jagadeeshwar Reddy, who rushed to the spot along with top officials of Telangana State Power Generation Corporation Limited (TSGenco), told reporters that the fire erupted possibly due to short circuit in the electric panels of the power house and it spread to other parts of the facility.