Bengaluru was shaken by a bomb blast at the Rameshwaram Cafe in the Whitefield area this afternoon. Karnataka Chief Minister K Siddaramaiah confirmed the blast as a low-intensity IED explosion.
Karnataka Deputy CM DK Shivakumar, State Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, and DGP Alok Mohan have arrived at the site to assess the situation. Deputy CM DK Shivakumar stated, "It was a low-intensity blast. A youth came and left a small bag, which exploded after an hour. About 10 people sustained injuries. We have formed 7-8 teams to probe the incident. I urge every Bangalorean not to worry."
Earlier, CM Siddaramaiah stated that CCTV footage revealed a person placing a bag in the cafe, dismissing the possibility of a gas leak. "It was not a high-intensity blast but an improvised one," he remarked. The injured, including cafe staff, have been transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The blast occurred at the popular eatery in a bustling area of Bengaluru, causing significant damage and injuring several patrons and staff members. "At 1:08 pm today, the fire department received a call regarding an LPG leakage fire in the cafe. Upon arrival, our officers found no fire or flame. An explosion occurred from a bag lying behind a woman seated with six other customers," stated TN Shivashankar, Director of the Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services department.
Bengaluru South MP Tejaswi Surya labeled the incident a "clear case of a bomb blast" on social media. He cited a conversation with the cafe's founder, Sri Nagaraj, who explained that the explosion resulted from a bag left by a customer. Surya emphasized the need for clarity from CM Siddaramaiah regarding the incident.
"Just spoke to Rameshwaram Café founder Sri Nagaraj about the blast in his restaurant. He informed me that the blast occurred because of a bag that was left by a customer and not any cylinder explosion. One of their employees is injured. It seems to be a clear case of a bomb blast. Bengaluru demands clear answers from CM Siddramaiah," Surya wrote on X, formerly Twitter.