The Madhya Pradesh police on Sunday reportedly confirmed that gelatine sticks stored in a house led to the massive blast in an adjoining building that killed at least 104 people, including eight women and three children, on Saturday. Earlier, a cylinder blast at an adjacent restaurant was suspected to have caused the powerful explosion.

However, the police later confirmed that a short circuit in the house, where gelatin sticks were stored, led to the powerful blast, NDTV reported. Gelatin sticks are explosives used in mining.

The police have booked the resident of the house, Rajendra Kumar Kaswa, and sealed all his residences and godowns in the area. Kasawa has been absconding since the incident took place. The police are reported to have said that Kasawa had a licence to deal in explosives.

"Case registered against Rajendra Kaswa who is absconding after the explosion. Explosives were found in a godown owned by him," ANI quoted SDPO Abdul Rasheed Khan as saying.

Cylider did not go off

A senior official of Indian Oil Corporation has reportedly said that no cylinder had exploded at the restaurant. He said that the eatery was issued only one cylinder that could be seen unharmed in the pictures of the spot, The Indian Express reported.

Meanwhile, National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sent a team at the site to collect evidence to verify the cause of explosion. "We are awaiting a report from our team that has gone to the site, as it will give a clearer picture on the cause of the explosion," an NIA official said.

CM Chouhan Visits Jhabua, orders judicial probe

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has ordered a judicial probe into the blasts after Home Minister Babulal Gaur briefed him about the situation following his visit to the site, IANS reported.

"The blast is a heart-rending incident and I have ordered a judicial probe into the blasts," Chouhan said. He siad that he would request the Madhya Pradesh High Court to appoint a judge to probe the blasts.

The chief minister has also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured. Chouhan visited the blasts site on Sunday and interacted with the locals. 

The blast took place around 8.30 am near the Petlavad area of Jhabua near the new bus stand on Saturday, when the area was crowded with school students and labourers. The first blast was followed by another massive one that killed over 100 and injured several others.

"There are 104 confirmed deaths at the moment. Eighty-two postmortems have been carried out and 22 are still pending," inspector in charge of Jhabua's police control room ML Gond told AFP over the phone on Saturday night.

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