External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday said that the Indian missions in Canada are working round the clock to help its citizens after a blast at an Indian restaurant in Ontario province. Swaraj said she was in constant touch with India's consul general in Toronto and the high commissioner in Canada. The Minister added that so far there was no evidence to term this incident as a terrorist attack or hate crime.

“There is a blast in Indian restaurant Bombay Bhel in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. I am in constant touch with our Consul General in Toronto and Indian High Commissioner in Canada. Our missions will work round the clock. The Emergency number is: +1-647-668-4108,” she tweeted.

Later she tweeted: “The 12 persons who were taken to hospital have been discharged. The other 3 persons who were critically injured are stable. According to Police, at this stage there is no evidence to term this incident as a terrorist attack or hate crime.”

Canadian media reports cited police as saying that two unidentified men detonated a powerful improvised explosive device at the restaurant, injuring at least 15 people.

Three of them have suffered “critical blast injuries” and were rushed to a trauma centre, Canadian broadcaster CBC has reported. Police have issued the CCTV camera footage of the two suspects. It was not immediately known how many people were inside the restaurant at the time of the blast. Mississauga is Canada's sixth largest city.

Courtesy: The Pioneer, Saturday, 26 May 2018 | PNS & AGENCIES | New Delhi