Panic gripped Banihal area along Srinagar-Jammu highway amid a mysterious blast when a Santro car hit CRPF bus on the thoroughfare on Saturday afternoon.Authorities have rushed a team of experts to the spot to ascertain whether the blast happened due to gas cylinder explosion inside the car or due to any explosive material.A police officer said that the driver of the Santro Car disappeared from the spot and it is being verified whether he fled away or rushed to hospital in order to get treatment for the injuries which he might have suffered in the incident.“A team of experts is on the spot and is ascertaining the nature of the blast,” he said, adding, “preliminary investigations suggest that it was a gas cylinder blast given the fact that there were no injuries to any CRPF personnel or pedestrians on the roadside at that time”.However, police sources did not rule out the possibility of militant strike.All angles are being looked into and it would be after the completion of the investigations that true nature of the blast will come to fore, sources said.The officer said that the Santro car has suffered damage in the incident and details about the driver would be confirmed soon.Soon after the blast, there was a panic in the area and traffic on the strategic highway was halted for a brief period of time. (GNS)