One killed in explosion oustide restaurant in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: A woman was killed and a man injured in a blast triggered by an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in front of a popular restaurant on a busy road in the heart of the city Sunday night.

The IED wrapped in a plastic bag and suspected to have been placed in a bushy plant went off around 8.30 PM in front of Coconut Grove restaurant, killing the woman in her 30s and injuring her relative after they were hit by shrapnels, Karnataka Director General of Police L Pachau told reporters at the site.

City Police Commissioner M N Reddi confirmed that the woman identified as Bhavani succumbed to injuries at a hospital, where she was rushed in a serious condition. Her relative Karthik is also hospitalised but out of danger.

The restaurant is close to the fashionable Brigade Road and MG Road, dotted with bars and restaurants with teeming crowd on weekends.

Reddi said no group has claimed responsibility for the blast, as the police cordoned off the area and mobilised the entire city police force stepping up security.

The blast was of low intensity, Pachau said, adding experts were examining "as to what type of bomb was used."

Internal security division experts along with the forensic team, dog squad as well as anti-sabotage check team were present at the blast site.

Reddi, who did not rule out terror angle, said police had obtained "certain information" from their preliminary investigation which could not be disclosed.

Asked if any timer had been attached to the IED, Reddi said the bomb detection squad and forensic experts were examining "available traces."

He said the entire city police force had been mobilised and additional force from Karnataka State reserve police had also been pressed into service as part of beefed up security.

Reddi said the explosion occurred at about 8:30 pm and there was a explosion heard, "which having checked we have found that there was improvised explosive device that was used by some culprits....".