Many injured in Taiwan train blast

An explosion ripped through a busy commuter train in Taiwan's capital, Taipei, late on Thursday injuring at least 24 people, police say.

The blast hit a train at Taipei's Songshan station before midnight leaving some passengers badly burned.

Police told local media they found a broken tube with explosive material inside that looked like a firecracker.

Premier Lin Chuan told media it appeared "malicious" but police have not ruled out an accident.

Police bomb squad chief Lee Tzu-wen told local media that investigators found "a 15cm-long, broken metal tube stuffed with explosive material inside a black backpack" that they believe could have caused the blast.

"There was a blast and the carriage went dark. People were panicking and screaming," one passenger is quoted as telling a local news channel.

Other eyewitnesses cited in local media reported seeing a man carry a rectangular object onto the train carriage shortly before the explosion.