At Least 82 People Killed in Explosion in Central India

At least 82 people were killed after a large explosion caused the collapse of several buildings in central India on Saturday, the New York Times reports. It is unclear what caused the explosion.

A police official, A. R. Khan, told the Times that the explosion, in the town of Petlawad, in the state of Madhya Pradesh, occurred in a shop carrying explosives. Local news reports cited a gas cylinder at a nearby restaurant—an account which Khan disputed.

A medical official, Dr. Urmila Choyal, said that at least 82 people had been killed—mostly men having breakfast at the restaurant—and 150 people had been injured. According to the Indian Express, the dead included at least eight restaurant employees.

The Express reported that explosives being stored in a house being rented adjacent to the restaurant had gone off, killing most of its inhabitants.

A local police official, Seema Alawa, said it was too early to say what had happened: “We are still rescuing the people from the debris.”