Powerful blast in Nashik building kills three

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At least three persons were killed, and five others were injured when a powerful explosion ripped through a building in the congested Panchvati area of this town on Wednesday afternoon, police said. Several people are feared trapped in the building.

The blast took place around 3 p.m. Two floors of the three-storey Saptashringi Apartment collapsed due its impact, a Nashik police control room official said.

Several vehicles parked in and around the building have been damaged in the blast.

Teams of senior police officials, bomb squad, dog squad, six fire tenders and a disaster management team have been rushed to the spot.

The nature of the blast - whether it was a cooking gas cylinder explosion or an explosive device - is being investigated.