At least one person was killed in a large fire at a Shanghai chemical plant that shot clouds of smoke across the city on Saturday, state media reported.

The fire at a Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical plant in the district of Jinshan broke out around 4 am, but was brought under control later that morning, according to state news agency Xinhua.

"The fire at the scene has been effectively brought under control and protective burning is currently being carried out," Xinhua reported.

"According to our initial understanding, the fire has already caused one death."

Videos on social media showed a large cloud of fire and ash billowing upwards.

In one aerial video, three fires could be seen in separate buildings.

The Shanghai fire department said on Weibo that it had dispatched over 500 personnel immediately after the incident around 4:28 am.

The Ministry of Emergency Management has dispatched an expert group to the scene, CCTV reported.

Reports have so far not stated a possible cause for the fire. (AFP)