Small explosions rock 2 major transit points in Seoul

Two explosions occurred at Seoul Station and Seoul Express Bus Terminal Thursday. No casualties were reported but the incidents fueled speculation of a terrorist attack.

Police are looking for a man whom they said was seen on a surveillance camera putting a package inside a locker at Seoul Station, saying he was likely responsible for the two explosions.

A homemade explosive made from a butane gas canister went off around 11:55 a.m. inside a locker at the bus terminal in the southern part of the city.

A store owner who saw white smoke coming from the locker reported it to a police officer. The instant the officer used a portable fire extinguisher, an explosion occurred with a red flash.

Nobody was hurt in the explosion, but people inside the terminal quickly evacuated the area.

One merchant in the terminal said, “When we opened the locker door with a fire extinguisher after the fire was put out, we found a wired butane gas canister that was burned out.”

Around 11:07 a.m., a fire broke out in a locker at Seoul Station. Police said a wired butane gas canister was found inside a burned bag kept in the locker.

“Considering that the inside of the steel locker was not damaged except for soot, there was no blast. It appears that there was only slow combustion,” police said.

A witness said he heard no explosion but saw black smoke suddenly shoot up from the locker. “I fled from the scene thinking that a fire broke out because of a short circuit.

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