Almost a dozen people were injured Monday after a bomb exploded near a Chilean subway station.

Government officials describe the bombing "an act of terrorism" and vowed that they will bring those responsible for the explosion to justice.

"Innocent people have been affected by this reprehensible act that deserves a decisive response. All Chileans should be united in this. The government is coordinating efforts to determine who the perpetrators [are] so that they're brought to justice," said Álvaro Elizalde, a top government spokesman, according to CNN.

He added that the bombing "has all the characteristics of a terrorist act that has been carried out to cause harm to innocent persons." 

The blast went off around lunchtime next to an underground train station in the Chilean capital of Santiago, injuring at least 10 people, reports Reuters. It took place at "a fast-food restaurant in a small, underground shopping mall connected to the Escuela Militar subway station in Santiago's affluent Las Conde neighborhood," reports The Associated Press.

"This is a cowardly act because it has as its objective to hurt people, create fear and even kill innocent people," President Michelle Bachelet said. "We're going to use all the weight of the law, including the anti-terrorist law, because those responsible for these acts have to pay."

She also told residents to remain calm, saying, "This is horrible, tremendously reprehensible, but Chile is and remains a safe country."

Prosecutors plan to invoke the country's anti-terrorism laws, which will give them more power and allow for harsher sentencing.

No group has claimed responsibility, and the police said the attack was being investigated.

"This is an act that has all the hallmarks of a terrorist deed," Elizalde told reporters outside La Moneda presidential palace. "There is no doubt. And it has been carried out with the intention of hurting innocent people."