Over 100 feared dead in Madhya Pradesh explosion

Blast had greater impact because of mining explosives stored in a nearby building

More than 100 people were feared dead and 50 received severe injuries in a massive explosion that shook the town of Petlawad (310 km from Bhopal) in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua district on Saturday.

According to the state police, the explosion of a gas cylinder at a city restaurant early Saturday morning triggered a massive blast inside a house adjacent to it. Among the things stored in the house were high-level explosives, including detonators and gelatin rods. Such was the the intensity of the explosion that a vehicle, which was passing by and carrying a large number of passengers, was reduced to pieces. All the injured were rushed to a local hospital.

“A magisterial inquiry has been ordered and the state government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased,” government spokesperson Anupam Rajan told reporters. However, he could not confirm the total number of people who had lost their lives in the tragic accident.

According to sources, as many as 50 people died on the spot. Many are still feared trapped in the debris of a nearby building that caved in soon after the explosion. Police sources confirmed that National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had been dispatched to Jhabua to assist with the rescue operations.  

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Babulal Gaur said that a probe has been initiated and stern action will be taken against those who store explosive materials illegally. The Congress, the main opposition in the state, has also demanded a high-level inquiry into the matter. “A high-level investigation becomes more all the more important since such the explosion took place at Petlawad, which is so close to Gujarat,” said Arun Yadav, the party’s state president.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party’s state convener, Alok Agrawal, alleged that the blast is a reflection of the rampant illegal mining in the state. He went on to add that the the state police is doing to little to prevent such crimes.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who was attending the World Hindi Conference during the day, skipped the event’s concluding session after the news of the blast came in. He expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased.