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

Neither were there indications of a “hate crime” in the attack which initially left three of the injured in critical condition.

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 at the scene.

“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 pair, who were also wearing jeans and face coverings, 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.

Three of the wounded — a 35-year-old man and two women, aged 48 and 62 — were taken by ambulance to hospital in critical condition, but were listed as stable on Friday morning.

Children under 10 years old were inside the restaurant at the time of the explosion but were not harmed.

Other victims were treated for minor injuries after the blast at the popular Bombay Bhel restaurant in a strip mall that is surrounded by houses, grassy fields, and condo towers under construction.

India’s High Commissioner to Canada Vikas Swarup said in a social media post that consular officials stood ready to help, after going to the hospital to confirm that the three dual nationals reported to be critically injured “are stable now.”

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2018