Blast kills one, injures seven in downtown Bogota of Colombia

BOGOTA, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- An explosion in downtown Bogota, Colombia's capital, killed one person and injured seven others on Tuesday night, the city's mayor, Carlos Fernando Galan, confirmed Wednesday.

"We are supporting @PoliciaBogota to find those responsible for activating, at about 10 pm (Tuesday), an explosive device in the San Bernardo neighborhood. Eight people were injured and were transferred to the Santa Clara Hospital, where one, unfortunately, died," Galan posted on social media platform X.

The commander of the Metropolitan Police of Bogota, William Lara, said from the scene of the explosion that investigators were looking into the incident.

"Our Judicial Police and Anti-Explosives technicians are verifying whether it corresponds to an improvised device or an industrial explosive device," he said, adding authorities had begun reviewing security cameras in the area.

Police are also gathering eyewitness accounts of the explosion to quickly identify those responsible, said the police chief.