A woman died and another seriously injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) was triggered off on the busy Church Street here on Sunday night, causing panic among the weekend visitors.
The low-intensity IED, hidden behind a flower pot on the pavement in front of a popular restaurant, went off around 8.35 p.m., seriously injuring Bhavani Devi (37) and her relative identified as Karthik. The two, who had sustained shrapnel injuries, were rushed to the Mallya Hospital. Bhavani Devi, who suffered head injuries, was declared dead at 10.45 p.m.
The blast, which was heard for some distance, was mistaken for a firecracker initially, but later it was confirmed by Bengaluru city Police Commissioner M.N. Reddi to be a low-intensity blast triggered by IED explosion.
The injured were taken to the hospital by an autorickshaw driver, who was present at the spot at the time of the blast. He said that he also initially thought it was a firecracker.
As the news spread, people panicked and ran helter-skelter before the jurisdictional Cubbon Park police arrived on the spot.
While top officials, including Mr. Reddi and Additional City Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Alok Kumar, are camping at the spot, the entire area has been cordoned off by the police as a precautionary measure. Additional forces have also been deployed.
There has been a general threat perception in view of the festivities and the forthcoming New Year celebrations in the city, Mr. Reddi said.
