Bangalore, July 25 (IANS) A woman seated at a bus stop was killed and at least six people injured Friday in a series of five low intensity bomb blasts in Bangalore’s central business district and other crowded areas, police said. The explosions, triggered by timer devices and mobile phones, rocked Vittal Mallya Road, two kilometres from the state secretariat, Madivala on Hosur Road, which leads to the Electronic City housing leading IT firms, nearby Adugodi, Nayandahalli on Mysore Road, 10 km away, and Aanepalya.

The blasts took place between 1.30 p.m. and 2 p.m., police said.

The woman victim has been identified as Lakshmi and in her mid-30. She was waiting at bus shelter when splinters from an exploding bomb hit her head.

“Explosives equal to the quantity of one or two grenades have been used and the blasts were triggered by timer devices and mobile phones,” Bangalore City Police Commissioner Shankar Bidri told reporters.

“It appears to be an act to create panic in the city,” he said appealing to the people not to panic and go about their business as usual. “We will investigate and arrest the suspects.”

Police confirmed only five blasts while unofficial reports said seven explosions took place at six places.

Life in most parts of the city remained normal as the news was yet to spread although traffic had begun to pile up in the areas where the blasts occurred.

Some cinema halls and shopping malls, however, closed down. Several IT companies located in the area where the blasts took place shut their offices for the day and sent home the staff.

At most places, the explosives were placed under garbage and at Madivala close to a huge electricity supply transformer, the police said.

“It is clear that it is a well-planned operation, intended more to spread terror than to cause damage and dent Bangalore’s image as a safe and peaceful city,” a senior police official said.

In New Delhi, Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta described these as “low intensity blasts” and said the police and other security agencies were engaged in the task of collecting evidence.

He added that it would be too early to say who may have been responsible for the well-coordinated attacks.