Explosion leaves 8 injured in Santiago; government blames "terrorists"
A bomb explosion occurred at lunchtime in a small shopping center and food court near the Escuela Militar metro station; two people were seriously injured, while others suffered hearing loss; "This is an act that bears all the hallmarks of a terrorist attack," said Alvaro Elizalde, minister and spokesperson for the Chilean government; "There is no doubt. (The attack) was conducted with the intention of harming innocent people," he stated.
By Felipe Iturrieta
SANTIAGO (Reuters) - A bomb explosion at a fast-food restaurant near an underground train station in the Chilean capital, Santiago, injured eight people on Monday.
"At 14 p.m. an explosive device was detonated in the center (mini-shopping center) next to the metro station, and investigations are currently underway to determine its origin," said Mario Rozas, head of communications for the police.
The explosion occurred at lunchtime in a small shopping center and food court near the Escuela Militar metro station in the residential and commercial neighborhood of Las Condes.
Two people were seriously injured, a firefighter said, while others suffered hearing loss. A local official at the scene said one of the injured was from Argentina.
"This is an act that bears all the hallmarks of a terrorist act," said Alvaro Elizalde, minister and government spokesperson.
"There is no doubt. (The attack) was carried out with the intention of harming innocent people," he stated.
The government should activate anti-terrorism laws, Elizalde added. These laws typically grant prosecutors more powers and allow for harsher sentences.
Interior Minister Mahmud Aleuy said police believed two suspects planted the explosive device and fled in a car. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
"I was having lunch, I heard the noise and we went outside to see what it was like and we saw a lot of smoke, people running and screaming," said Joanna Magneti, who works at the shopping center.
"A young man was seriously injured, and a woman had injuries to her hand," he stated.
Chile is commemorating this week the 41st anniversary of the 1973 military coup that removed socialist president Salvador Allende from power. Traditionally, the date is marked by protests that sometimes turn violent.
A number of explosive devices have been planted near banks and police stations in recent years. In one case, a member of an anarchist group was killed and another injured when the two attempted to detonate the device.
In July, an incendiary device exploded on a subway train, but no one was injured.
The subway was operating normally after the explosion, although the Escuela Militar station was closed, police said.
(Reporting by Felipe Iturrieta, Fabian Cambero and Anthony Esposito)