Locals said they had complained of a gas leak about 20 minutes before the explosion.
One person was killed and 10 others were injured in a blast on Tuesday evening at an eating joint adjacent to the fire brigade office on the Mall Road in the heart of Shimla, officials said.
The blast occurred at the Himachali Rasoi restaurant, known for serving Himachali cuisines, located in Middle Bazaar just below the Mall Road and four to six shops have been damaged, they said.
The intensity of the blast was such that windowpanes of several shops and houses in the vicinity were broken and the sound was heard miles away. As the spot is just a few metres away from the fire station and the police control room, a fire fight operation was launched swiftly.
Locals said they had complained of a gas leak about 20 minutes before the explosion. They suspect it was caused by a cylinder blast.
"One person was killed in the blast. Ten others who sustained burn injuries were immediately rushed to Indira Gandhi Medical College Hospital (IGMCH) Shimla, two of them are stated to be critical," Shimla Superintendent of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi said.
Police and forensic teams are at the spot and the cause of the blast would be ascertained soon, Shimla Deputy Commissioner Aditya Negi told PTI.
BJP spokesperson Karan Nanda, who was on the spot, demanded an enquiry into the incident and adequate compensation to those whose shops have been damaged.
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