11 killed, dozens injured in St. Petersburg subway explosion

(Image credit: Video screenshot, Twitter)

published 3 April 2017

An attack in the metro system in St. Petersburg, Russia, left 11 dead and dozens more injured Monday after an explosive device was detonated in a train car. The explosion occurred as the train was traveling between two stations. Russia's anti-terrorism committee announced later that it had discovered and deactivated a second bomb in a separate station.

The Russian health ministry said Monday afternoon that 11 were killed and 45 injured by the blast. Social media images appear to show the train carriage's doors twisted and blown out and multiple people lying on the floor of the station:

Russian President Vladimir Putin was in St. Petersburg on Monday when the blast occurred for a scheduled meeting with the Belarusian president. He said the reasons for the explosion "are unknown," but he did not rule out terrorism as a factor. Security forces are "doing all they can to ascertain what has happened," Putin said. Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev referred to the explosion as a "terrorist act." The Week Staff