Two parcel bombs went off in Rome yesterday: the first was at the Swiss Embassy and the second in the Chilean Embassy. The blasts caused injuries to the officials in charge of sorting incoming post.

Neither of the two functionaries have life-threatening injuries, but the Swiss official (about whom little is known apart from his age of 53), was seriously wounded in one hand: the official was alone in the office at the time of the blast.

The injuries received by the Chilean official (Cesar Mella, 40) were less serious and he has already undergone surgery.

'There have, as yet, not been any claims of responsibility for the attacks, according to a statement made by Swiss Ambassador, Bernardino Regazzoni.

''Rome's Chief of Police, Francesco Tagliente, has already alerted all consular representations in the city and an inquiry by the public prosecutors office has already begun.'

' "We are following anarchist-insurrectionalist leads," said Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, who specified that indications have come from "similar episodes that took place in Greece last November".

For this reason, the Italian police have asked for collaboration from the Greek police.

"We have received a collaboration request and we have already started working with Italian police along these lines," said Greek police spokesman Takis Papapetropoulos.