‘Bodies were flying like small pebbles’

‘Bodies were flying like small pebbles’

FPJ BureauUpdated: Friday, May 31, 2019, 10:33 PM IST
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Jhabua (MP) :  Eighty-seven people were killed and over 150 injured, 20 seriously, when a cylinder blast at a restaurant packed with customers was followed by a massive blast that ripped through an adjoining building in Madhya Pradesh’s Jhabua district at 9 am, police said.

According to senior police officials, gelatin sticks and ammonium nitrate used in mining stored in a house next to a restaurant caused the blast. The two-storey building and the adjacent restaurant collapsed while several other buildings also suffered damages. However, officials say that there was explosion in a gas cylinder in the restaurant.

The death toll rose after rescuers recovered more bodies from the debris of the shattered buildings. As many as 20 of those injured are believed to be in a critical condition. “The restaurant was located in a densely populated locality where a large number of people were having breakfast, resulting in large number of casualties,” senior district police official Seema Alava said. Another district police official cited the restaurant”s proximity to a busy bus stand as the reason for the high number of casualties.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chau-han announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the families of those killed and Rs 50,000 for those injured.”The Jhabua tragedy is heart wrenching. I offer my condolences to the families of the victims and pray for the speedy recovery of those injured,” he said.

An investigation has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the second blast that caused widespread destruction. Authorities did not comment on whether illegally-stored gelatin sticks caused the explosion. A large number of labourers were milling around, waiting for buses. The first blast took place at around 8.30 am quickly followed by a much bigger explosion.

The deafening blasts were so powerful that it reduced buildings to rubble. The roar of the explosion was heard for kilometres. Dazed locals scrambled to help the wounded, who shrieked in pain. Some of the people died on the spot. Some 35 people who were at the adjacent Sethia restaurant were torn to pieces besides many children who were on their way to schools.

The impact of the blast was so powerful that vehicles and passersby were thrown to great distances. The injured have been referred to Dahod, Barod, Ratlam, Jhabua and Indore.

Chemical dealer Rajendra Kanswa had a godown in a rented house at Thandla Road where a large quantity of explosives were stored. The house owner, Gangaram Bherulal Rathore and three other family members also perished in the blast. Owner of Sethia Restaurant, Mukesh Sethia and his brother Mahavir Sethia, owner of Bajaj showroom Shailesh Patwa, Corporator Santosh Mulewa also died in the blast. Seventy bodies have been identified while 15 badly mutilated bodies could not be identified. A rescue operation was launched by stunned local residents soon after they recovered from the shock. Later, the administrative machinery swung into action.

Collector of Jhabua, Aruna Gupta, along with Dhar collector Jayashri Kiyawat rushed to the spot immediately.

Local people say that some traders store gelatine rods and ammonium nitrate used for blasting and mining purposes in their godowns located in residential areas and the incident is a result of such illegal activity. Ammonium nitrate is used for blasting and rigging purpose and due licences are required for their storage and handling but traders do not care about safety requirements and the latest mishap is a result of that.

State Home Minister Babulal Gaur, Chief Secretary Anthony De Sa and DGP Surendrapal Singh arrived at Petlawad and visited the CHC to see the injured persons admitted there. Collector Aruna Gupta, Jayshri Kiyawat, SP Rajesh Hingankar and MLAs also visited the spot.

Irate crowd gheraoed the Minister and other officials demanding strict action against the people responsible for the incident. It is said that victims include people from every locality of the town. Gaur said that a judicial inquiry will be made about the incident. A spontaneous bandh was observed in Petlawad, Raipuria, Sarangi, Bamania and other places to protest against the blast. Thousands of people thronged the cremation grounds where bodies were taken after post mortem. Bodies were consigned to flames en masse and the whole area resounded with wailing of grief-stricken families.

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