New York, Apr. 13: Police mounted an intense manhunt Tuesday for a gunman who set off two smoke bombs and opened fire in a New York subway car, injuring at least 20 people in a morning rush-hour attack that prompted new calls to fight a surge of violence in the city’s transit system. Police said the gunman was believed to have acted alone and immediately fled the crime scene.

A gunman in a gas mask and construction vest set off a smoke grenade and fired a barrage of at least 33 bullets in a rush-hour subway train. Police were scouring the city for the shooter and trying to track down the renter of a van possibly connected to the violence.

Ten people were hit directly by gunfire, including five hospitalised in critical but stable condition, authorities said. Police said 13 more people suffered from smoke inhalation or were otherwise injured in the chaos as panicked riders fled the smoke-filled subway car. All of the victims were expected to survive their injuries, police said.-Agencies