BIRATNAGAR: An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off on the premises of the Biratnagar Metropolitan City Office this afternoon, police said.

The explosive device kept at a waiting room on the first floor of the office went off destroying a glass window and damaging glasses of Mayor Bhim Parajuli's automobile. No human casualties were reported in the incident.

"I was at my work desk listening to service seekers and a sudden loud bang happened," Mayor Parajuli said, "we rushed outside and there was smoke and strong fume of bullet power."

Meanwhile, law enforcement officers have detained eight suspects including Biplab- CPN (Maoist) cadres.

According to Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar KC, police personnel are investigating the case and names of the suspects cannot be disclosed at present.

Following the incident, security personnel heightened security in the area and recovered a hard disk with CCTV footage of the metropolis for investigation.

No human deaths occurred in the incident as the IED went off during lunch hours in the office which witnesses a fair amount of service seekers every working day in the week. However, a municipal employee who was in close proximity of the blast site fainted and is undergoing treatment for trauma.

Biplab-CPN (Maoist) is suspected to be involved in the blast on assertions supported by a letter sent to the office by the party demanding grant money few days earlier.