Jakarta. A huge explosion allegedly caused by illegal firework production activities in a house killed at least four people and damaged dozens of houses in the East Java regency of Blitar just before midnight on Sunday.

First responders said they found body parts on house roofs and trees meters away from the source of the explosion in Karang Bendo village, Ponggok subdistrict.

All the victims belong to the same family members and were identified as house owner Darman, 65, his sons Arifin and Widodo, and a relative named Wawa.

The house was completely flattened by the blast which also damaged 25 homes around it and killed scores of livestock.

"Residents said they there was a strong smell of sulfur from the scene after the explosion. Accounts from the neighborhood said the son of the victim [house owner] usually produced fireworks ahead of Ramadan like last year," Blitar Police Chief Adjunct Chief Commissioner Argowiyono told reporters.

Rescue workers combed through the rubble to find the victims or their parts.

"One body is complete, two more still lack some parts and one body is without the head," a rescue worker who introduced himself only as Lukman said.