Over 10 people reported killed as bomb explosion hits metro carriage in Russia’s St. Petersburg, leaving several people injured, state media reports, in what President Vladimir Putin called a possible act of terror.
A blast has struck a metro carriage in Russia’s second city of Saint Petersburg, state media reported, leaving several people injured.
The Life News website showed pictures of blown-out train doors and injured people on the station platform.
The Tass and Interfax agencies reported a blast at the Sennaya Ploshchad metro station, which left a number of victims.
Images posted on social media showed a train carriage with its doors blown out and damage inside.
One of the blasts came from a device that appeared to be filled with shrapnel, according to Sky News. Putin said investigators were looking into all possible causes.
The train was going in between two stations in the center of the city, investigators said. Photos from the Sennaya Ploshchad station appeared to show wounded commuters on the smoke-filled platform, and a train car with a door blown out.
“People were bleeding, their hair burned,” a witness told Russia’s Life News. “My girlfriend was in the next car that exploded. She said that he began to shake. When she came out, she saw that people were mutilated.”
Crews closed all subway stations in the northern Russian city and evacuated passengers, administration officials said. Ambulances and other medical teams rushed to the scene.
“The causes are not clear, it’s too early. We will look at all possible causes, terrorism as well as common crime,” Putin responded.
The Russian president offered condolences to the families of the victims. He was visiting the city Monday and held talks with the president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
