4 women killed in explosion in central India

NEW DELHI, Nov. 26 (Xinhua) — At least four women were killed and five other people were injured in an explosion that damaged three houses in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, police said Tuesday.
The blast took place around midnight in Morena town, about 464 km north of Bhopal, the capital city of Madhya Pradesh.
“At around 12:00 a.m. (local time), we came to know about a major blast inside a house at Rathore Colony that killed two women and injured five others. The blast also completely damaged two houses adjacent to it. Immediately earthmovers and fire brigade teams were rushed to the spot to initiate a rescue operation,” a police officer said.
“Early today two more bodies of women were recovered, taking the death toll to four. The injured were rushed to a hospital in Gwalior and are undergoing treatment.”
Sameer Saurabh, a senior police officer, told reporters that the cause of the blast was being investigated and a forensic science laboratory team was on the spot collecting the evidence.
Local media quoted residents as saying that illegal crackers were stored in one of the three houses and could have caused the blast.
Accidental explosions are common at Indian firecracker factories and shops as owners usually ignore safety standards. ■