Police recover numerous explosive devices at blast site in India

Two days after a big explosion killed over 100 in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, police have seized numerous explosives for mining in the Petlawad town in tribal Jhabua district, local media reported on Monday.

Police have recovered 69 detonators and large number of gelatin sticks from the residence of the brother of the main accused in the incident, according to Press Trust of India.

Rajendra Kasawa, the main accused in connection with the incident and his brother Narendra are absconding since the explosion occurred on Saturday.

They were accused of illegally storing explosives and other deadly chemicals for carrying out mining and blasting rocks for construction work.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has offered a huge prize for information leading to their arrests.

Some officials have also been put under scanner over allowing storage of explosives in a crowded residential area.

Chouhan visited the blast site on Sunday and also gone door-to- door meeting the affected families. He reached Petlawad again Monday to meet the victims.

At least 107 people were killed and nearly 100 injured in the massive blast caused by mining explosives stored at a building ripped through a crowded area in Petlawad town Saturday.

The blast completely destroyed at least two buildings, one in which explosive material for digging wells was stored and an adjacent restaurant.

The explosion took place at the building of Kasawa brothers who had a licence to use explosive material for digging wells. He stored the explosive material, including gelatin sticks in huge quantity, at the residential building housing two shops in it and situated close to the busy restaurant in a new bus stand area.

Source: XINHUA