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Chennai, Oct 19 (IANS) At least four people were killed in a powerful explosion at a house near Avadi in Chennai on Sunday, reducing the building to debris. The officers provided this information.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the blast was caused by country-made firecrackers stored illegally inside the house on Thandurai Farmer Street for Diwali sale.
According to police sources, the explosion shook the area and spread panic in the entire area.
The sound of the explosion was heard several streets away, and nearby homes suffered cracks and shock damage.
Fire and rescue service personnel from Avadi and nearby stations reached the spot after being alerted by residents. They controlled the flames in the building and later recovered four charred bodies from the debris.
Two of the deceased have been identified as Yasin and Sunil, both residents of the same area, while efforts are on to identify the remaining two victims.
A senior police officer said the house was being used to store a large quantity of country-made firecrackers, which were allegedly for sale during the Diwali festival.
“It appears that the victims were handling or packing explosives when the explosion occurred,” he said.
Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the residents had the necessary licenses for storage and sale.
The impact of the explosion was so severe that the structure was completely leveled, with concrete and wooden debris scattered across the road.
It took firefighters several hours to clear the debris and ensure there was no secondary ignition from the remaining chemicals. Forensic and bomb squad teams have collected samples from the site for analysis to determine the exact cause of the blast.
Avadi police have registered a case and are interrogating locals to trace the source of the explosives and identify possible suppliers.
The incident has shocked the Avadi area, where residents said they had repeatedly complained about unsafe storage of fireworks in residential buildings. Authorities have now increased surveillance in Chennai suburbs to prevent similar tragedies ahead of Diwali celebrations.
–IANS
aal/vd