At least 80 people died and dozens were injured Saturday following a powerful explosion near a crowded bus stand in central India, officials said.
Officials attributed the blast to mining explosives stored in the basement of a house, although earlier accounts had blamed gas cylinders inside an adjacent restaurant.
The thunderous blast occurred around 8:30 a.m. in the town of Petlawad in Madhya Pradesh state, about 300 miles north of Mumbai. Passengers were waiting at the bus stand and the nearby Sethia restaurant, popular for its samosas, was filled with customers having breakfast, reports said.
Several buildings collapsed, and news footage showed chaotic scenes at the site as concrete walls were reduced to rubble and vehicles lay in wreckage.