BHOPAL: A stock of gelatin sticks stored illegally in a house in Madhya Pradesh exploded, killing a man and injuring eight other members of his family on Wednesday morning.
The man has been identified as 45-year-old Nathuram Kushwah.
One of the injured -- a 20-year-old girl -- is in a critical condition.
The house was located on Madhya Pradesh's border with UP.
The powerful blast occurred at around 4.30 am at the residence of Nathuram Kushwah in the Ladpura village of the state's Tikamgarh district.
Seven members of the Kushwah family are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Jhansi (UP).
They are out of danger, Tikamgarh superintendent of police of Kumar Pratik said.
Police found that sizable amounts of gelatin sticks and detonators were stored illegally in the house. Three country-made pistols and live cartridges were also found.
“Primary investigations suggest something shady could have been going on in the house,” SP Tikamgarh said.
Police suspect that explosives and firearms were obtained from Babina in Uttar Pradesh's Jhansi district.