Jhabua blast: Police file case against man for storing explosives which led to blast

Police of Madhya Pradesh on Sunday registered a case against Rajendra Kaswa for storing huge quantity of explosives which allegedly led to the blast in Petlawad town on Saturday.

Kaswa, who is now absconding, reportedly owns the licence to use explosive material for digging wells in rocky areas. Stockpile of gelatin rods were stored illegally inside the godown owned by him inside the building where the blast took place.

Sub-Divisional Officer of Police, Abdul Rasheed Khan, said a FIR (First Information Report) has been filed against Kaswa and police have sealed all of his properties.

"He has been booked under sections 3/4 of the Explosives Act and section 304 of the Indian Penal Code. All of his properties have been sealed, including his house and warehouses. We will be searching all of them today," said Khan.

At least 85 people were killed when a cooking gas cylinder blew up in a crowded restaurant on Saturday, triggering a second blast of mining detonators stored illegally nearby.

Bodies lay amid the rubble of the collapsed restaurant, which was located next to a busy junction, and twisted motorcycles and debris were strewn outside, as a crowd of onlookers searched for survivors.

The death toll increased throughout the day on Saturday as rescue workers continued to pull bodies from under the rubble.

Meanwhile, a doctor treating the injured at a Community Health Centre, Urmila Jual, said the death toll has increased to 89 and around 150 people were injured.

"Eighty two people died, plus seven unidentified bodies have been sent outside. So, total 89 have died," said Jual.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced 200,000 rupees in compensation for the families of those killed and 50,000 for those injured.

The district surrounding Petlawad is home to a number of manganese and bauxite mines.