As many as 15 people have been injured after a bomb was detonated inside an Indian restaurant in Mississauga area of Greater Toronto late on Thursday.
“About 15 people were taken to hospital after the blast at the Bombay Bhel restaurant. Three people had critical injuries”, the Peel Regional Paramedic Service said in a Tweet.
Strong sound of the blast was heard in the neighboring area. The local police declared it an improvised explosive device blast. Roads in the area were closed and a large police presence was at the scene, with heavily armed officers arriving as part of the large emergency response.
The blast occurred just after 10:30pm.
Peel Regional Police said on Twitter that two men in their mid 20s had detonated an IED inside the restaurant. The men fled the scene shortly after the incident, the statement said.
The police posted a photograph on Twitter showing two people with dark zip-up hoodies walking into the building with one of them appearing to be carrying something in his hand. After the blast, both the suspects fled from the scene, the police said.
Police and paramedics said they were called to the Bombay Bhel restaurant, which is located in a plaza north of Hurontario Street and Eglinton Avenue, at around 10:30 p.m.
Const. Iryna Yashnyk told reporters on the scene that the call was for an explosion. “So far we have the plaza sealed off and we’re investigating,” Yashnyk said.
Three patients, who Peel Paramedics said were in critical condition, were taken to Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre.
Yashnik said as of 3 a.m., those patients had their conditions upgraded to “stable.” Multiple patients were taken to local hospitals with minor, trauma injuries. Some of the injuries were superficial, paramedics said.
A man told media that he was inside the restaurant when he heard a big blast. “A big one … I was in the bathroom with my kid, so I came out and everybody’s here and there,” he said, adding he saw broken glass and blood.
An eye witness who introduced himself to media as Rafael Concaceicao said he was at a nearby restaurant when he heard the explosion. “When we reached the place, there was lots of blood on the floor. Many people were hurt at the time — women, [children] and families,” he said, adding “Most of them were mother, father and child.”
Police released a photo of two suspects wanted in connection with the explosion. “Two suspects attended the scene, detonated an improvised explosive device within the restaurant,” officers said on Twitter. “Two parties fled the scene immediately after the incident”, they said.
Police described the first male suspect as being five-foot-10 to six feet tall, mid-20s and having a stocky build. He was last seen wearing dark blue jeans, a dark zip-up hoodie pulled over his head, a light grey baseball hat and black cloth covering his face.
Published in Daily Times, May 26th 2018.