AYODHYA, Oct. 10 -- Five people died and several injured after a house collapsed following an explosion in Pagla Bhari village under the Pura Kalandar police station limits in Ayodhya on Thursday evening, police said.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath took note of the incident and directed senior officials to expedite the rescue operation.

According to Ayodhya SSP Gaurav Grover, the owner of the house demolished in the blast was Pappu Gupta, a local resident. "Kitchen utensils were scattered all over the area after the explosion. We are collecting evidence from the spot," he said, adding that search operations were underway in nearby villages and open fields. Police teams were also combing through standing crops in the fields as part of th...