AMRITSAR, Feb 19: At least 15 people were injured in a powerful bomb blast on Thursday that caused widespread damage at a court complex here, police and witnesses said.

The blast occurred near the office of police chief Kultar Singh, officials said, adding that the explosion was in an area containing items such as cars and stolen property seized by police and kept as evidence in ongoing trials.

"It was a powerful bomb," Singh told AFP as rescuers rushed the injured to hospitals. He said most of the wounded had received shrapnel or burns injures in the explosion that shattered window panes in buildings in a 200-metre radius.

Eyewitnesses said they saw several rickshaws fly up to six metres into the air following the explosion, which destroyed or damaged more than 50 shops inside the complex. Around 100 cars parked in the area were also badly damaged, witnesses said.

Forensic experts found unspecified electronic devices and said they were possibly used to trigger the bomb. Police officials privately said the cause of the blast could also have been accidental. "During the days of terrorism police may have dumped some bombs here and one of them blew up," an official said. -AFP