Blast at Indian restaurant in Canada injures 15: police

OTTAWA: Canadian police on Friday hunted two men after a blast at an Indian restaurant near Toronto injured 15 people, but police said there were no initial signs of terrorism.

An improvised device detonated on Thursday night at the eatery in Mississauga, a major suburb west of Toronto, while two parties celebrated birthdays, Peel Regional Police Chief Jennifer Evans told a news conference.

"Two men wearing hoodies were seen entering the restaurant with an IED," or improvised device, she said. "The men were seen fleeing the scene immediately following the explosion." The men did not say anything, just dropped off the device and left, authorities said earlier. "Every police resource is being used right now to locate the people responsible for this horrendous act," Evans added, giving the number of injured as 15.

Three of them -- a 35-year-old man and two women, aged 48 and 62 -- were taken by ambulance to hospital in critical condition, and were listed as stable on Friday morning. Other victims were treated for minor injuries after the blast at the Bombay Bhel restaurant.

"This is a heinous crime," Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie said. So far there is "no indication this is a terrorist act, no indication this is a hate crime," said police chief Evans, who added: "We haven’t ruled anything out as we start our investigation." The Toronto metropolitan area has a sizeable population with Indian origins.