A mysterious object exploded on the East Veli Street in Nelpettai in Madurai on Wednesday afternoon. No one was injured in the blast, the police said.
The blast was reported at around 12.45 p.m. near the office of a High Court Advocate, M. Akbar Ali.
“Hearing the sound of the blast, I ran into the house of my relative thinking that a cooking gas cylinder might have exploded. However, I saw smoke emanating from outside the house,” Mr. Ali said.
People in the vicinity had put out fire at the place of explosion with water, he added.
The blast had occurred close to the advocate's car.
Police have collected few batteries, wires, a magnet and a plastic bottle from the site. Pieces of thread were seen strewn around the car. The police made a thorough search of the car.
The people behind the blast and the motive behind it are under investigation, the police said.