This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

More than a dozen people have been injured after a homemade bomb ripped through an Indian restaurant in the Canadian city of Mississauga, near Toronto.

Police on Friday said they had launched a search for two men who had entered the Bombay Bhel restaurant late on Thursday evening with their faces covered, dropping an improvised explosive device before fleeing the scene.

“Nothing was said by these individuals,” said Matt Bertram of Peel regional police. “It appears they just went in, dropped off this device, and took off right away.”

The blast left 15 people injured, three of them critically, while the rest suffered minor or superficial injuries. On Friday afternoon police said all of the victims had been released from hospital.

Police said their focus was now on tracking down those believed to be responsible for the act.

“There is no indication that this is a terrorism act. There is no indication that this is a hate crime at this time. We haven’t ruled anything out as we start our investigation,” said Jennifer Evans, the Peel regional police chief.

Police released a photo of the suspects, showing two men with dark hoodies pulled over their heads as they entered the restaurant. One of the men appeared to be carrying something resembling a pail or a paint can.

“Every police resource is being used right now to locate the people responsible for this horrendous act,” said Evans. She added that they were in contact with police forces across the Toronto area.

Play Video 0:42 Suspects sought after Canada restaurant explosion – video

The explosion happened as two separate, private parties were taking place at the restaurant. Some children were there, although police said the victims of the explosion ranged from 23 to 69 years.

Rafael Concaceição, a student from Brazil, was on the patio of a nearby restaurant when he heard the explosion and rushed over to help.

“There was a child’s birthday party. Everything was destroyed,” he told the Associated Press. “Lots of blood in the floor. Many people were screaming. They were trying to run out from the restaurant.”

Police said the explosive device caused a “considerable amount of damage” to the restaurant and neighbours reported hearing a loud explosion. On Friday, police declined to give more details on the motive or the device that had been used, saying only that the investigation was in its early stages.

The blast left many in Mississauga – a city of 700,000 people that sits about 20 miles west of Toronto – reeling. Bonnie Crombie, the city’s mayor, said she was thankful there were no fatalities.

“I would call it a very heinous, reprehensible act committed by cowards who came into a restaurant where people are vulnerable, celebrating with their families and where children are present,” she said.

“This is certainly not anything you would expect to happen in Mississauga, not my Mississauga. This is not the Mississauga I know.”

On Twitter, Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, said his government was working closely with police and officials in Mississauga following the blast.

“We’re in solidarity with the victims of this violence, and wish a swift recovery to the injured,” he wrote.

Hours after the incident, the Indian consulate in Toronto tweeted it had opened a helpline for those seeking assistance following the blast.

Vikas Swarup, India’s high commissioner to Canada, tweeted that India’s consul general in Toronto had visited the injured in hospital.



The blast comes one month after a driver ploughed a white Ryder rental van into a lunch-hour crowd in Toronto, killing 10 people and injuring 15.

On Friday, Kathleen Wynne, Ontario’s premier, described the two incidents as shocking. “To have two of these things happen in a short period of time is worrisome,” she told reporters.