Bengaluru: A 38-year-old woman was killed and a man injured in a bomb blast in India’s information technology hub Bengaluru on Sunday, police said.
The low-intensity blast took place outside a restaurant on Church Street, an area with several popular eateries.
“The two ... were walking outside the restaurant when the blast occurred. They were hit by shrapnel,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi said.
The bomb squad was scouring the area for other explosive devices, broadcaster NDTV reported.
“The situation is under control. It is too early to say who was responsible. Experts are examining the remnants of what looks like an improvised explosive device,” Reddi said.
“Investigations are on. It looks like the aim was to create panic. A terror attack cannot be ruled out,” he continued.
Federal Law Minister Sadanand Gowda, who represents a Bengaluru constituency in parliament, tweeted: “I request fellow Bengaluruians not to panic.”
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday spoke to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and assured him of all central assistance. A home ministry official said the chief minister apprised Rajnath Singh of the situation.
“The home minister extended all central assistance to Siddaramaiah regarding the blast in Bengaluru,” the official said.
Earlier this month, police arrested Mehdi Masoor Biswas, who was allegedly running the pro-Daesh Twitter handle @ShamiWitness, which had 17,800 followers.
Hundreds of IT companies with workers from all over India and abroad are based in Bengaluru, capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka.
