A fertiliser factory caught fire and exploded several times in Indonesia on Thursday evening.

The PT Saprotan Utama factory in Demak Regency, Central Java was filmed being engulfed by the inferno on July 21.

Footage shows thick clouds of smoke billowing out from the building, which was seen erupting into explosive fireballs several times.

Adjunct Senior Commissioner Budi Ardhy Buono, Demak Police Chief, said: 'The building that caught fire was a fertilizer factory located next to a hospital.'

Fire engines that were dispatched to the scene reportedly had trouble reaching the factory due to the ongoing construction of a bridge leading to the area.

The fire took six hours to extinguish, and had quickly spread because of the amount of flammable material that had ignited.

Officers also evacuated some 78 patients of the nearby Pelita Anugerah Mranggen Hospital, who had to be moved to Semarang City to continue their treatment.

Budi said: 'We made sure there are no casualties in this incident.'

He added that the cause of the fire is still unclear. Investigations will proceed once the scene has been deemed safe to investigate.