The area surrouding the room the explosion occurred in was taped off as the police investigated all day Monday. Photo by Nathan Greenhalgh.

VILNIUS — The Vilnius police bomb squad is investigating a mysterious explosion that injured one man and damaged one room at the Social Democratic Party headquarters in downtown Vilnius Monday morning.

The investigation is ongoing and the police department is not commenting as to what may have caused the explosion. One theory that had been proposed early on, the ignition of a gas leak, has been ruled out because no gas was being pumped into the building at the time.

Meanwhile the Lithuanian press is abuzz with speculation that the explosion could involve fugitive Drąsius Kedys, currently wanted for two murders last week, because the first floor also contains the government’s office of children’s rights. Rimantė Šalaševičiūtė, office of children’s rights ombudsman, began work on the custody of Kedys’ daughter.

Šalaševičiūtė told the press that she was not afraid of any threat and would continue working on the case.

“I will do my job,” Šalaševičiūtė said. “If this bombing was directed toward me, I assure you I have no greater fear than before.”

The bomb squad combs the room for signs of incendiary devices Monday afternoon. Photo by Nathan Greenhalgh.

The explosion, which happened in the office of a Social Democratic Party worker, damaged the roof of the room and blew out one window, which in turn shattered the glass panel of an adjacent bus stop. The injured man, who was examining the cabinet with a flashlight in the room when the explosion occurred, is being treated for first-degree facial burns. Police told Baltic Reports that this man may have accidentally caused the explosion.

The explosion took place at 9:20 a.m. The building was evacuated but shortly thereafter police declared the building safe to work in and the other offices resumed their normal activities.