ROME- Palazzo Farnese, the home of the French Embassy in Rome, was in disarray on Wednesday afternoon when a letter bomb exploded in its offices.

 According to Italian newspaper Il Messaggero, the letter exploded at around 2 p.m. in the hands of a worker, causing the embassy workers to immediately flee the room. The French Ambassador Catherine Colonna was informed as soon as the letter set fire and the entrance to the palace was quickly blockaded by security guards. Those in the embassy were told not to touch anything, for fear that another letter or package may detonate.

 Nobody was hurt in the incident, and the female worker who opened the letter immediately threw it away as soon as she saw the flames, before they reached her face and hands.  The female has been taken to hospital for shock.

 The letter is reported to have had no message inside, and no group has come forward to claim authorship for the bomb.

 The investigation into the incident, headed by Italian antiterrorism division DIGOS and deputy prosecutor Giancarlo Capaldo, is looking into the source of the letter.  Investigators’ initial speculation indicates that an anarchist group sent the letter, as anarchists have employed similar techniques prior, such as recently in France, where a group are on trial for a similar crime. Another prime suspect is the extreme movement No TAV, which protests against the construction of high-speed train lines in Italy.

 Investigators have also concluded that the bomb was intended to scare rather than to inflict harm, as the amount of explosive used was minimal.