Mangaluru autorickshaw blast: 'An act of terror', says police

In a mysterious incident, an autorickshaw exploded in Mangaluru on Saturday.

According to reports, the driver and the passenger sustained injuries. After the detailed probe, the police on Sunday said that the incident is not an accident but an 'act of terror'.

According to the police, the fire originated from the passenger's bag. Both the injured are out of danger said the police officials.

The forensic team is conducting further investigations, they said.

"It's confirmed now. The blast is not accidental but an 'Act of terror' with the intention to cause serious damage.

Karnataka State Police is probing deep into it along with central agencies," said DGP Karnataka Praveen Sood.

The driver and the passenger who sustained injuries and got hospitalised were out of danger, said the officials.

Though the investigation is ongoing, the probe had revealed that the passenger might be involved behind the incident. 

The police have recovered fake ID cards and materials required for blasts from the residence of the passenger, say reports.

The CCTV visuals from the location shared by the police, revealed an autorickshaw that was stopped on the road catching fire and exploding with a huge cloud of smoke.

After the incident, City police commissioner N Shashi Kumar rushed to the spot and told reporters after inspection that there was 'a fire' in the autorickshaw and there is no need for panic. He appealed against spreading rumours.

The police commissioner appealed to people to not panic.