At least 10 people died and nine others suffered serious injuries in a massive explosion that took place inside a house, where the inhabitants were said to be involved in illegal firecracker business, an official said on Friday.
Bhagalpur District Magistrate Subrat Kumar Sen said the blast took place inside the house of Mahendra Mandal in Kajbalichak locality of the town in the early hours.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed anguish at the loss of lives in a blast in Bihar's Bhagalpur district and said the administration is engaged in relief and rescue work, and all possible assistance is being provided to the injured.
Modi tweeted that he had spoken to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar regarding the incident, and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
The house of Mandal besides two adjoining buildings were reduced to rubble by the impact of the explosion, the sound of which was heard far and wide, said the DM, adding that earth moving equipment was brought in to clear the debris.
Teams of bomb disposal squad and forensic experts were collecting samples to ascertain the type of material that caused the blast, he said.
The 10 bodies recovered so far were badly disfigured and the administration was yet to confirm the identities of the deceased.
Nine survivors have been rushed to a hospital, Sen said.
The DM said Mandal has been previously involved in illegal manufacture of firecrackers, and a similar explosion at his house in 2008 had killed three people, including his wife.