Bomb blast in Bengaluru cafe, man seen on CCTV keeping bag: Chief Minister

KARNATAKA Chief Minister Siddaramaiah confirmed that the explosion at Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe was a bomb blast. At least nine people were injured in the blast at the popular cafe in Bengaluru's Brookefield area, reports India Today.

Siddaramaiah confirmed that the blast was caused by an IED (improvised explosive device ) and said a man placed a bag containing the device inside the cafe. The suspect had breakfast at the cafe and left the bag, he added.

Police told the Chief Minister that no more IED were found on the premises apart from the one in the bag, said sources.

Siddarmaiah said the man who placed the bag inside the cafe took a token from the cash counter. The cashier is being questioned, he added.

Asked whether it was a terrorist act, the Chief Minister said, it is not known and investigations are on, reported news agency PTI.

"It was not a large-scale blast, it was an improvised explosive blast. Such things have happened earlier too, it should not happen. Let's see what it is. In recent times, such blasts have not taken place other than the incident in Mangaluru during BJP rule. This is the first such incident during our government," he added.

The injured included staff members and a customer. Their injuries are not critical, said the Chief Minister.

The nine people injured in the blast have been identified as hotel staff Farooq (19), an Amazon employee Deepanshu (23), Swarnamba (49), Mohan (41), Nagashree (35), Momi (30), Balaram Krishnan (31), Navya (25) and Srinivas (67).

India Today has accessed CCTV footage from Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe showing the moment when the blast rocked its premises. Servers milled around the counter before the blast turned the camera screen white as plumes of smoke went up.

Visuals from the site taken after the blast showed people running away from the cafe. The impact of the blast also tore their clothes and several people were seen with injuries.

Teams of police, firefighters, forensics and a bomb disposal squad gathered at the site soon after the blast.

The area has been cordoned off as the police investigate the explosion.