http://zeenews.india.com/world/russ...es-including-terrorism-for-blast-1992513.html
St Petersburg: Russian President
Vladimir Putin said on Monday the government was considering all possible causes for the blasts in St Petersburg's metro system, including terrorism.
"I have already spoken to the head of our special services, they are working to ascertain the cause (of the blasts)," Putin, at a meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, said.
"The causes are not clear, it`s too early. We will look at all possible causes, terrorism as well as common crime," he added.
First Published: Monday, April 3, 2017 - 18:52
http://www.thehindu.com/news/intern...-blast-tass/article17773295.ece?homepage=true
Security was tightened at the Technological Institute metro station in Saint Petersburg on Monday after a blast that occurred between the station and another. | Photo Credit:
AFP
Ten people were killed in an explosion at a metro station in St. Petersburg on Monday, the authorities said.
The blast happened in a train in between two stations, a source in Russia's emergency services said.
“There was one blast in one site in between [stations] as the train arrived at the Technology Institute station from the Sennaya [loshchad] station,” the source told
Reuters.
A witness saw eight ambulances near the Sennaya Ploshchad station.
Interfax news agency quoted an unnamed source as saying one of the blasts was caused by a bomb filled with shrapnel.
President Vladimir Putin, who was in St. Petersburg for a meeting with Belarussian leader Alexander Lukashenko, said the cause of the blasts was not yet clear and efforts were on to find it out. He said he was considering all possibilities, including terrorism.
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 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.
The authorities closed all metro stations in the city.
The Moscow metro said it was taking unspecified additional security measures in case of an attack there.
Russia has been the target of attacks by Chechen militants in past years. Chechen rebel leaders have frequently threatened further attacks.
Thirty-eight 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 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.
Mr. Putin, as Prime Minister, launched a 1999 campaign to crush a separatist government in the Muslim southern region of Chechnya, and as President continued a hardline in suppressing rebellion.
A blast occurred at the Sennaya Ploshchad station, in the centre of St Petersburg, just as the train was reportedly pulling out of the station. Andrei Kibitov, spokesman for the St Petersburg governor said that 10 people had been killed and 50 injured in the blast. (Photo: AP
)
The explosion happened between Sennaya Ploshchad and Tekhnologichesky Institut stations.
The unidentified explosive device went off at 2:20 p.m. on a train that was leaving the Technology Institute station and heading to the Sennaya Square station, Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee said.
The Moscow metro said it was taking unspecified additional security measures in case of an attack there. President Vladmir Putin offered his condolences to the families of those killed.
http://indianexpress.com/article/in...etersburg-russia-metro-station-blast-4598108/
Prime Minister
Narendra Modi on Monday expressed deep sadness over the loss of lives and the families of the victims in Russia’s St. Petersburg metro station blast that killed 10 people and injured around 50. “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives in the blasts at St. Petersburg metro. Heartfelt condolences to the families of
the victims,” he tweeted.
Offering his condolence for those hurt, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the government was considering all possible causes for the blast in metro system, including terrorism.”I have already spoken to the head of our special services, they are working to ascertain the cause (of the blasts). The causes are not clear, it’s too early. We will look at all possible causes, terrorism as well as common crime,” said Putin, at a meeting with Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko.
In a statement to news agencies, Russia’s National Anti-Terrorist Committee said that an unidentified explosive device went off on a train that was traveling between two stations –Technological Institute and Sennaya Ploshchad.