Bhubaneswar, Jan. 22 -- Bengaluru: An explosion of a truckload of explosives, suspected to be meant for mining, killed at least eight people in Karnataka's Shivamogga district on Thursday night and sent shockwaves in neighbouring areas, police said.

The massive explosion took place near a gravel and boulder crushing facility around 10.30 pm, sending shockwaves not only in Shivamogga, but also in neighbouring Chikkamagaluru and Davangere districts.

So strong was the blast that window panes shattered while many houses and even roads developed cracks, said an eye-witnesses.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed pain at the loss of lives in an explosion in Karnataka's Shivamogga district and said the state government is providing all...