Kathmandu: Panic gripped the Indian consulate staff when a bomb went off outside an Indian consulate office in Nepal’s Biratnagar, damaging the wall of the premises, a media report said today. Morang SP Arun Kumar BC said the blast took place last night in an open space behind the building that caused minor damage to the wall. Police said they are investigating to find out on who caused the blast, Kathmandu Post reported.

Investigating officers suspect that cadres of a local political group have caused the blast. The party had called a general strike in Biratnagar on Monday. The security around the blast site has been upped after the incident. Meanwhile, security sources in New Delhi citing inputs from Nepal said a small explosion took place at Biratnagar at the Indian Embassy consulate office.

This is a temporary office which had been set up during floods in Nepal and north Bihar and continues to function since then. The explosion happened at around 8:20 pm and caused a hole in the compound wall. No one was in the office at the time of the incident, sources said. Biratnagar is the industrial capital of Nepal and 6 km north of the border of Bihar.