Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan arrived in Petlawad of Jhabua district on Sunday to assess the situation after Saturday's twin blasts that claimed 87 lives.
Protesters blocked the chief minister's way, demanding arrest of the owner of the house and action against the "irresponsible" officials.
Chouhan has already announced a judicial probe into the incident that has also left over 100 people injured.
A cylinder burst at a hotel in Petlawad town was followed by a massive blast that ripped through an adjoining building in the town on Saturday.
Police are looking for the owner of the house where the explosives were stored in.
"The owner of the house, Rajendra Kaswa, is absconding from Jhabua. We have interrogated his family members and there is no clue about his whereabouts," Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Seema Alva told IANS.
A shutdown has been called in Jhabua and Petlawad to protest the devastating twin blasts.