The two others injured were friends who had just finished dinner and stepped out of a restaurant, Coconut Grove. The place where the bomb went off is just a few feet away from The Times of India office.
Police commissioner M N Reddi told reporters it was a "low-intensity explosion" triggered by an improvised explosive device. Police suspect the bomb was kept in a cloth bag between a row of plants and the compound wall of Coconut Grove. The family was in front of the main gate when the device went off. Bhavani took the brunt of the blast and was thrown to the middle of the road. Passersby bundled the injured into an autorickshaw and took them to Mallya Hospital.
"There was a threat perception to Bengaluru for some days, but the advisory was generic. We are on alert," Reddi said, adding it was too early to say who triggered the blast. The injuries were caused by shrapnel, the commissioner added. Additional reinforcements of KSRP have been sought.
"I condemn the Sunday night incident on Church Street. The aim seems to spoil the mood in the city which is gearing up for New Year celebrations. High alert has been declared across the city and extra police forces have been deployed in public places including bus stations, railway stations and airport. Special teams have been formed to nab those involved in the incident. Alert will be maintained in other major cities in the State. Public are requested not to fall prey to any rumours," said Siddaramaiah, Karnataka Chief Minister.
READ ALSO: High alert in Delhi after Bengaluru blast
(Police's dog squad inspecting the spot where the blast occurred.)
Meanwhile, union home minister Rajnath Singh is said to have held telephonic talks with Siddaramaiah and took stock of the situation.
The explosion left a trail of black soot on the white compound wall of the eatery. A pool of blood a couple of feet away on the middle of the road and a pair of slippers lying nearby were all that remained few minutes later. Police arrived at least 15 minutes after the blast.
Bhavani and Karthik were among eight members of a family, including three children, walking in front of Coconut Grove, a popular eatery on the street. They were heading to Amoeba, a gaming arena on the other side of the pavement, when the explosion occurred around 8.30pm.
The other two wounded are Sandeep H, 39, a resident of Ideal Homes, Rajarajeshwari Nagar. He was admitted to Hosmat with injuries to his left leg. A one-inch broad metallic pellet had ripped through his calf and was stuck in his knee. As Sandeep had just finished dinner, he could not be operated on for four hours. His friend, Vinay, works with IBM.
(Sandeep H, an employee at I-Gate, suffered injury in the Church Street blast.)
The blast ripped off bits of flesh from Karthik's left shoulder. Doctors told family members that Bhavani suffered a hole in the left part of her skull and they couldn't stop the bleeding. Karthik's sister Priya told TOI they were all walking on the pavement outside Coconut Grove, and the two injured were the last in the group.
"All of us passed the place when we heard a huge blast. My aunt was thrown to one side. My brother has a small injury on his back, but my aunt bled a lot even in the auto," she said. Scores of shocked people began screaming and many of them helped the family transport the injured. The area was cordoned off as bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs were deployed.
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