Chennai: At least four people were killed as a powerful explosion ripped through a house near Chennai's Avadi on Sunday, reducing the building to rubble, officials said.

Preliminary investigations revealed that country-made firecrackers, stored illegally inside the house on Thandurai Farmer Street, for Deepavali sales, led to the blast.

According to police sources, the explosion shook the neighbourhood and sent panic across the area.

The sound of the blast was heard several streets away, and nearby houses suffered cracks and damage from the shockwave.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel from Avadi and nearby stations rushed to the spot after being alerted by residents. They battled the flames that engulfed the building and later recovered four charred bodies from the debris.

Two of t

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