An American was injured in an explosion near a subway station in downtown Beijing Thursday afternoon, police confirmed late Thursday.

The blast happened at 3:20 pm Thursday beside a newspaper stand near the Dongzhimen subway station in Dongcheng District, police said in a press release.

Police said a 30-year-old American studying in China, who happened to pass by, was slightly injured in the leg and had been rushed to a nearby hospital.

Police are investigating the cause of the blast.