AFTER TWO low intensity blasts rocked a Bangalore stadium, where an IPL match was scheduled today, police found a third explosive device near the stadium. The third device, which was found three hours after the twin blasts at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, has been defused. The stadium was hosting a match between the Mumbai Indians and the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

The third explosive device, which was found three hours after the first two blasts at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, was found by police at Gate number eight, in a plastic bag. It was sucessfully defused.

The first explosion, took place at Gate number 12B, occurred at 3:15 PM, about 45 minutes before the beginning of the MI vs RCB match. The blast was reportedly a low intensity blast and saw ambulances and police vans hurry to M Chinnaswamy stadium. However, confusion prevailed among the fans who were waiting to enter the stadium at the time of the explosion and most believed that the loud sound had been an overheated generator exploding.

According to Shankar Bhandari, police commissioner, who gave the details of the first blast to the media, the explosive had been " planted near gate no 12 behind a plastic billboard. Four policemen suffered minor injuries while a security guard was seriously hurt." He claimed that the bomb had not been a powerful explosive device.

On the other hand, the second blast, which took place near the Anil Kumble circle, about half a kilometre from the stadium wher the Indian Premier League match was scheduled to take place. According to Alok Kumar, the deputy commissioner of police, no one was hurt in this blast. Both explosions saw the explosive devices placed in bushes.

While official reports quote the number of persons injured as five, unconfirmed reports by witnesses to the M Chinnaswamy stadium blasts in Bangalore, claim to have noticed 15 people as injured, which include four injured policemen.

After the two blasts, the police told players of both the IPL teams to return to their dressing rooms till the police issued an all clear. However, both the Bangalore Royal Challengers and the Mumbai Indians decided to play the match and the gam began at 5:00 PM, with Sachin Tendulkar and Anil Kumble stepping on the field for the toss.