Jeep explosion kills 16 in India

A jeep exploded in a South Indian village today, killing 16 people and injuring 22 more, a senior police official said.

The vehicle was carrying a gelatine-based explosive from a government-licensed depot to be used to blast rocks on a highway construction project when the vehicle caught fire, Inspector General K. Radhakrishnan said.

“The villagers saw smoke emerging from the jeep and stopped it. The driver and his assistant and some villagers tried to put out the fire by throwing sand on it, when the explosion took place,” Radhakrishnan added.

“It was a very tragic accident.”

The massive explosion rattled the small village, damaged five houses and charred trees in the vicinity.

The blast occurred in Chendur village, 80 miles south of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu state.