An explosion that occurred around 18:20 pm Monday at a man's toilet of a shopping center in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, has injured at least two people, according to local police.

The injured has been hospitalized and police has blockaded the explosion site, which is located at the second floor of the Gulou Business Plaza, the city's biggest shopping center.

Local police have appealed to the public for clues about the explosion.

Preliminary investigation suggested the explosion was "deliberately caused", said a spokesman with the local police at a press briefing late on Monday.

The police had offered a 50,000 yuan (US$6,024) reward for information leading to the suspect, spokesman Fu Qiang told journalists.

Fu said the explosion occurred at 5:54 pm in a man's washroom on the second floor of the Gulou (Drum Tower) Business Plaza in Suzhou Road and left two people slightly injured.

Police blockaded the site shortly after the incident and the injured were hospitalized, he said.

Gulou Business Plaza is one of the biggest shopping centers in downtown Hefei.

(Xinhua News Agency April 27, 2004)