Russia bomb blast: At least 9 dead and 20 hurt as explosion rips through Metro station

[RoterTeufel]

Russia bomb blast: At least 9 dead and 20 hurt as explosion rips through Metro station


 
A BOMB has hit a Metro train travelling between two stations in St Petersburg killing at least 9 people and injuring 20 more.
 
The blast occurred between the "Sennaya Ploschad [square]" and "Tekhnologichesky Institute" stations.
 
 Interfax said they believed the device was contained in a briefcase left on the train.
 
 They also said they believed images had been captured of the suspected organiser of the attack.
 
 Shocking pictures emerged from the scene appearing to show a subway door blown off – with catastrophic damage inside.
 
 Another device was also found at a separate station in the city but it was dealt with before it could go off.
 
 A huge hole was blasted in the side of one carriage with mangled metal wreckage strewn around the platform.
 
 Passengers were seen hammering at the windows of one closed carriage.
 
 Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is currently in St Petersburg on a visit, said it was not yet clear what had caused the explosion.
 
 But he refused to rule out terrorism but said authorities would be exploring all possible causes of the blast.
 
 The device was reported to have contained a vast amount of shrapnel which sprayed into crowds at the station.
 
 "I have already spoken to the head of our special services, they are working to ascertain the cause (of the blasts)," Putin said while at a meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.
 
 "The causes are not clear, it's too early. We will look at all possible causes, terrorism as well as common crime," he added.
 
 Video showed injured people lying bleeding on a platform, some being treated by emergency services. Others ran away from the platform amid clouds of smoke.
 
 A witness saw eight ambulances near the Sennaya Ploshchad metro station.
 
 Video footage from inside the Metro station showed passengers running away from the platform amid clouds of smoke.
 
 The news comes just a few weeks after the London terror attack in which five people died.
 
 Khalid Masood drove his car over Westminster Bridge killing three people and injuring several others before stabbing PC Keith Palmer to death and being shot dead himself.
 
 Today’s bombings on the St Petersburg metro system come just weeks after an ISIS cell reportedly planned to attack the city.
 
 Russian news agency Interfax said 11 ISIS affiliates were arrested in January for plotting attacks on Moscow and St Petersburg.
 
 The entire Metro network has been closed down over fears of further blasts.
 
 Russia has previously been the target of several terrorist attacks from Chechen militants.
 
 At least 38 people were killed in 2010 when two female suicide bombers detonated bombs on packed Moscow metro trains.
 
 Over 330 people, half of them children, were also killed in 2004 when police stormed a school in southern Russia after a hostage taking by islamist militants.
 
 In 2002, 120 hostages were killed when police stormed a Moscow theatre to end another hostage taking.