Two more persons, including a woman, were killed on Sunday by shrapnel from explosions at the ordnance depot in Anantnag district even as firefighters "controlled" the blaze and villagers returned to their homes outside a 1.5-km radius of the camp.

The toll in the fire and blasts at Field Ordnance Depot at Khundroo in the south Kashmir district has now risen to four. Over 40 people have been injured.

The woman, identified as Jameela, was killed when she and other villagers ignored the warning of the authorities and left for her house in the close vicinity of the army camp, Deputy Inspector-General of Police H K Lohia said.

He said the fire had been controlled and most people had left for their homes after the intensity of the blasts reduced.

Defence spokesman Lt Col A K Mathur said, "The fire has been controlled from spreading but the search parties are moving cautiously to avoid any casualties."

He said those living within a 1.5-km radius of the depot should avoid returning to their houses as a precautionary measure and asked locals "not to touch any suspicious object" and immediately inform the army if any such object was found.

Lohia said the villagers would be allowed to return only after the search operation was completed.

The army and police have launched an operation to defuse any unexploded device, which might have landed in the villages in the vicinity of the camp due to the impact of the blasts.