BICHOLIM, May 10 -- : Residents of the Hill View Colony in Bicholim were terrified as four major blasts at Kairav rolling mills furnace rocked the Muslimwada area on Thursday evening at around 7pm.

A scooterist, who was ferrying his mother, had a miraculous escape when fire balls crossed the boundary wall and landed on the road. The locals noticed the thick smoke billowing from the factory.

The residents were horrified as the blasts shook the walls of houses at Hill View Colony, located about 500 metres away. Some narrated that they thought an earthquake had occurred.

An eyewitness said, "There were four blasts. Our house vibrated. We felt the aasts took place, another resident of Hill View Colony, said, "We thought it was an earthquak...