Two teenagers were slightly injured when a bomb exploded in front of a market in Rangoon’s Tharkayta township on Sunday at 5:45pm.

Army Col. Tin Win, the minister of Rangoon division border affairs, told reporters that the two youngsters were injured when a homemade bomb, apparently made with TNT compound, went off when they picked it up and threw it on the ground.

“It was a homemade bomb consisting of a detonator, TNT, a battery and a clock. When the kids found it, they picked it up and threw it back onto the ground, causing the TNT and the clock components to fall off, but the battery somehow managed to charge the detonator which then exploded,” he said.

“The youngsters were shocked but sustained only superficial wounds,” he added.

The Tharkayta incident was the second bomb blast to jolt Rangoon on Sunday; at just after midnight a first bomb exploded at Sawbwagyigon bus terminal in Insein township. No one was injured, however police also reported finding an unexploded device at the scene.

Tin Win said the police were investigating whether the two cases were linked.

“We are working with experts to find out if the two cases are linked – we need to find out whether the types of explosives and clocks used in the devices were the same,” he said, adding that it was difficult to say whether the incidents in Rangoon were also connected with a bombing that took place on Friday in Taungoo, central Burma, killing two; and an unexploded bomb found on a passenger bus in nearby Pyu a few days earlier.

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“It’s hard to say at the moment who is behind the attacks and whether or not the incidents are connected,” he said.

Tin Win said he will beef up security in Rangoon and urged the public to cooperate with the security forces.

“We are going to increase security with checkpoints and inspections. We need the public to cooperate with us and to understand that we are working for their security,” he said. “We have told our officers to politely ask questions to members of the public. And in return, we would request that people show tolerance and answer the questions accurately.”