Blast kills 4 in Nashik, rescue operations on

4 people were killed in a blast in Nashik, Maharashtra on Wednesday afternoon.

At around 3 pm, a loud explosion was heard in Saptashrungi Building in Tarwala Nagar in Nashik’s Pachavati area.

The impact of the blast has damaged two storeys of the building and vehicles parked in the basement have been flung as far as 10 feet across the road. Other buildings in the vicinity were also damaged.

Even though the building is largely residential, it has a few commercial establishments. Four bodies have been recovered from the debris, and seven people have been injured.

Commandoes are now scanning the debris, looking for more casualties.

The building is unstable, and could fall any minute.

This is slowing down the rescue operations.

While the police are suspecting a cylinder blast, eyewitnesses said the impact and the explosion indicate that it could be a stronger explosive.

While Panchavati is a thick residential area, it wasn’t particularly crowded at the time of the blast.

Teams from the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, the district police, and the Rapid Action Force are already on the site.

Stay tuned for further updates.