JOIN USPanic gripped areas in and around the City Market following two mysterious explosions in a span of five minutes on Monday afternoon.
Two persons, including a student, sustained injuries and were rushed to Victoria Hospital. Charan, a II year BE (Electronics) student, and Ramgopal, a salesboy at an electronic shop on JC Road, were treated as outpatients at the Victoria Hospital and discharged.
Senior police officers inspected the spot and ruled out the possibility of either low-intensity bomb or gelatine sticks having exploded.
Additional Commissioner of Police ( Law and Order) Kamal Pant ruled out sabotage.
The substances, he said, have been sent to Forensic Science Laboratory.
Charan, a resident of Devasandra, after alighting from a bus at Kalasipalya, was walking towards the City Market to board another bus to Bangalore University, when he stepped on the explosive material and there was an explosion within seconds. He injured his right leg.
Within minutes, Ramgopal, who alighted at the bus stop and began walking towards his office, also stepped on the substance resulting in another explosion. He too sustained injuries on his legs, police said.
The Kalasipalya police, who rushed to the spot and cordoned the area, summoned the bomb disposal and dog squads.
Police said poachers and hunters use explosives to kill wild animals, especially wild boars, with low-intensity explosive devices. The explosives normally resemble a garlic or a small onion. They are prepared using materials like glycerine, potassium nitrate, ammonium nitrate and urea.
Firecracker is used to trigger the blast. They have explosive coating with wheat flour or a ball of edible kept at the designated places to tempt the prey. One bite would blow the jaws off, killing the animal within seconds, police said.
The explosives may have been dropped while being transported by suspected hunters. Such substances exploding are common in rural areas adjoining the City, police added.