By IRNA
New Delhi : Twelve tourists have been injured in an explosion in the capital city of Maldives, Male’s Sultan Park, in what appears to be a planned attack on the Maldives Tourism industry.
An explosion took place at the entrance to the park, near the northern edge of the island today afternoon.
One British, one Japanese and eight Chinese tourists have been confirmed among the injured, Minivan News Portal reported here from Maldives quoting the Tourism Minister Dr Mohamed Shougee.
The explosion was triggered by a home made device involving a mobile phone and washing machine motor attached to a gas cylinder.
Witnesses report seeing nails scattered in the park, before the area was cleared by security personnel.
The Maldives receives over five hundred thousand tourists a year, and the industry is the lynchpin of the country’s USD 1 billion economy.
The Maldives is known as a tranquil island getaway and the capital has not seen explosions or gunfire since an attempted coup in 1988.
The government is refusing to speculate officially on motives for the attack.