At least 10 people are dead after two blasts hit St. Petersburg, although the number of victims is rising rapidly and is expected to increase further over the next hour or two. Russian media are reporting that a pair of explosions occurred in the city’s underground stations at Sennaya Ploshchad and the Institute of Technology. Social media posts show a subway car at the Sennaya station with the doors blown out and casualties lying on the ground.
#BREAKING: Explosive device was set off on a train in the Russian city of St. Petersburg. Reportedly 10 people killed. pic.twitter.com/BxG5m2MePV
— Aditya Raj Kaul (@AdityaRajKaul) April 3, 2017
https://twitter.com/TerrorThreatTM/status/848869779045830657
https://twitter.com/BMakuch/status/848869205634142208
Pictures on social media also show thick smoke filling the underground metro station.
Some children injured in the St. Petersburg blasts.
An unnamed source reportedly told the state-run TASS media outlet that “about ten people” were killed in the St. Petersburg blasts. However, the source also said that they’re still trying to determine exactly how many people were killed or injured. Just a short time later, an official with the Emergencies Ministry told Interfax that at least 50 people were injured in the explosions. Most of the injured were struck by flying shrapnel caused by the blasts. Emergency personnel are removing those who were injured from the subway cars using special equipment.
A source with the city’s law enforcement informed Sputnik that some children are among the victims. The source said most of the children are probably on spring break. The number of children and their names still aren’t known.
President Putin is in St. Petersburg
A spokesperson for the Kremlin reportedly told RIA News that Russian President Vladimir Putin is attending an economic forum in the city and has been told about the explosions. Authorities are investing the cause of the St. Petersburg blasts, but they haven’t yet ruled out terrorism.
The National Anti-Terrorism Committee, city police, and the Russian Federal Security Service are investigating the exact location of the explosions, although there is a report that it may have been one blast between the Metro stations at Sennaya Ploshchad and the Institute of Technology, affecting both stations. The National Anti-Terrorism Committee has almost finished evacuations operations at the city’s underground stations.
Officials with the St. Petersburg Metro system have shut down all of the city’s underground stations after the explosions. A Metro spokesperson told Interfax that the Moscow Metro system is also putting additional security measures in place after the St. Petersburg blasts.
VIDEOS:
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