Two explosions in India killed at least 89 people and injured dozens more on Saturday when a cooking gas cylinder exploded, triggering a second blast of nearby, illegally stored mine detonators.
The explosions occurred in a restaurant in Petlawad, a town in Madhya Pradesh state, at around 8:30 AM. The explosions caused significant damage, destroying the restaurant and an adjacent building.
According to K.K. Mishra, Indian National Congress Party’s chief spokesman in Madhya Pradesh, the explosives contained mining gelatin sticks and detonators that were being stored in the nearby home of a local businessman’s basement.
In the aftermath of the explosion, hundreds of onlookers gathered, slowing down the dispatch of ambulances and other emergency vehicles, as police struggled to contain the scene, reported the Associate Press.
Although the owner of the explosives was said to have a license, illicit mines are a prevalent problem that has plagued India.
“The residents in the area had complained several times about the dangers involved in storing explosives in the middle of the city but he is a powerful businessman,” Mishra said, according to the LA Times, “Nobody addressed it.”
In response to the explosions, the Indian government has announced a $3,000 compensation for families of the deceased, most of who were poor laborers.
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