Subway explosion in Chile leaves eight injured

By Rafael Romo, Senior Latin American Affairs Editor, and journalist Felipe Guler

updated 4:23 PM EDT, Mon September 8, 2014

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• The explosion was set off at a subway station in an upper-class neighborhood
• CNN Chile reports the explosive device was inside a trash bin
• Top government officials calls the bombing "an act of terrorism"

(CNN) -- An explosion at a subway station in Santiago, Chile, injured eight people Monday.

The explosion happened around 2 p.m. at the Escuela Militar station in the upper- class neighborhood of Las Condes, said Mario Rozas, spokesman for the Chilean National Police.

Most of the injured were in a restaurant at the metro station.

The victims suffered "sound trauma, three had cuts, one had an exposed fracture and another one had a traumatic amputation of fingers." The victims were from 30 to 65 years old.

CNN Chile reported the explosive device was inside a trash bin in an open area at the metro station.

Subway service has continued operating, but trains are not stopping at the station while police and emergency services work.

The station where the explosion occurred is used daily by about 150,000 commuters.

Álvaro Elizalde, a top government spokesman, called the bombing "an act of terrorism" and said the government will invoke the antiterrorism law.

"Innocent people have been affected by this reprehensible act that deserves a decisive response. All Chileans should be united in this. The government is coordinating efforts to determine who the perpetrators [are] so that they're brought to justice," Elizalde said.

So far, no one has claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Several explosions have been set off in the Chilean capital in the past few months. Some bombings happened at banks in the middle of the night, and authorities said the motive was robbery.

This is the first time an explosion was set off in a public place during the day.