Chennai, Oct 19 (IANS) At least four people were killed as a powerful explosion ripped through a house near Chennai’s Avadi on Sunday, reducing the building to rubble, officials said.

Preliminary investigations revealed that country-made firecrackers, stored illegally inside the house on Thandurai Farmer Street, for Deepavali sales, led to the blast.

According to police sources, the explosion shook the neighbourhood and sent panic across the area.

The sound of the blast was heard several streets away, and nearby houses suffered cracks and damage from the shockwave.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel from Avadi and nearby stations rushed to the spot after being alerted by residents. They battled the flames that engulfed 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 locality, while efforts are underway to identify the remaining two victims.

A senior police officer said that the house was being used to store a large quantity of country-made firecrackers, allegedly intended for sale during the Deepavali festival.

“It appears the victims were engaged in handling or packing the explosives when the blast occurred,” he said.

Officials were yet to confirm whether the residents had the necessary licenses for storage and sale.

The impact of the explosion was so severe that the structure was completely flattened, with concrete and wooden debris scattered across the street.

Firefighters took several hours to clear the rubble and ensure there was no secondary ignition from leftover chemicals. Forensic and bomb squad teams have collected samples from the site for analysis to determine the exact cause of the explosion.

The Avadi police have registered a case and are interrogating locals to trace the source of the explosives and identify possible suppliers.

The incident has sent shockwaves through the Avadi area, where residents said they had repeatedly complained about the unsafe storage of fireworks in residential buildings. Authorities have now stepped up inspections across Chennai suburbs to prevent similar tragedies ahead of the Deepavali celebrations.

–IANS

aal/vd