TERRIBLE GUNPOWDER EXPLOSION IN INDIA.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 141, 16 June 1877, Page 4

TERRIBLE GUNPOWDER EXPLOSION IN INDIA.

The following account of the terrible gunpowder explosion which took place at Abmedabad appears in the Bombay , Gazette of February 3: — " An alarm of fire baying been given, as is usual in -such cases .a orowd gathered round th£ place, whioh turned out to-be a Borah's shop, where ammunition aod firearms , were sold. The shop had been shut up for the night, consequently, the police proceeded to burst into it. As the door flew open a large cask of gunpowder j which appears to* have leaning against it, rolled out, and immediately exploded among the crowd. The scene which followed was indescribable. The house in which the shop was and the next one to it, were so completely blown away, that the space where, they stood looks as if a clean slice had been cut out of the row. loan instant a great mass of flame, followed by a dense volume of smoke, shot into the air; carrying with it rafters, beanie, brioks, and everything. So^great wasihe^force of the explosion that though the street is a very wide one, some of the houses opposite caught tire, and most of their windows and doors were smashed, in one case a verandah being torn, bodil? .off. The large beam of the Borah'i shop was carried across the street, ana , now restß on the roofs of the opposite 1 houses. In front of where the shop , bad been, the street was strewn witlj the de^d and dying, while the air/jfan^ with wild, despairing; heartrebdingj shrieks. Flaming figiirea were, bq seen rushing frantically ; about,. 7 and some . poor , wretohea, ia the: hope of extinguishing their burning clothing; sprang into a 'shallow driuking' tank which stands hear, the scene of the accident; but, overcome with exhaustion and fear, fell dowo, and though the water was only a foot bi. two indepth, were drowned before aid' could reach them. The terrified sur-; vivors, fearing a second explosion,* would not ior some time venture near the spot to the assistance ofthe injured, many of whem lay as they had fallen,', a slight spasmodic movement of thai head and chest being the only indica-j iion that life still remained in their) poor, torn, scorched bodies. It is* difficult to ascertain the extract number! of sufferers, for though 53 of the worst cases were immediately conveyed to the hospital, many of the injured were taken charge of by their own friends. Of those in the hospital, fifteen diedf during the night, ten of whom Were! women, and there is little hope that any will survive. Some, are entirely! blinded, and those who may hot die! from actual hurts are almost certain to: succumb the shock. The scene nexti morning io the hospital was heart-j trending in the extreme. AU around j were rows of writhing humanity ; inj some cases with wounds so awful that the skin had peeled off their' bodies. i There were altogether eight persons) killed on the spot, four of whom were! members of the police force.) As nearly as can be reckoned there were about j 125 persoue more or less injured by! tne explosion. j