At least 15 injured in bomb attack on Indian restaurant in Canada
TORONTO: Unidentified persons set off a bomb in an Indian restaurant in a Toronto suburb on Thursday night, with the blast injuring 15 people.
The blast occurred at the Bombay Bhel restaurant in Mississauga as two separate birthday celebrations were in progress. The members of the families were of Indian origin. While three were taken to hospital with serious injuries, 12 others suffered minor injuries from the blast.
Peel regional police provided CCTV images of two men wearing hoodies, with their faces covered, entering the restaurant prior to the explosion, and then fleeing.
Police said there was nothing in their investigations so far which suggested terrorism or hate crime, adding that they were ruling nothing out in terms of the possible motive for the attack.
Police chief Jennifer Evans, in a Friday morning conference, said the investigation was in its “early stages”. She said: “Every police resource is being used to locate the people responsible for this horrendous act.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed “solidarity” with the victims of the violence.
Canada’s high commissioner to India Nadir Patel tweeted authorities were “following closely reports” of the explosion. Patel was scheduled to appear at an Indian community event in Mississauga later on Friday.
Mississauga mayor Bonnie Crombie described the incident as a “heinous crime”.
India’s external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted: “I am in constant touch with our Consul General in Toronto and Indian High Commissioner in Canada. Our missions will work round the clock.”
High commissioner Vikas Swarup was also tracking developments.
Officials from the Indian consulate visited both the site of the explosion and the hospitals where the injured were taken. India’s consul general to Toronto Dinesh Bhatia was among those who were at the hospital for a large chunk of the night.
Bhatia told HT: “The consulate opened a helpline immediately after receiving the information about the explosion to extend all possible assistance. We are keeping a close watch on the situation. External affairs minister and ministry of external affairs are fully informed of the developments.”