An explosion in the St. Petersburg Metro has left at least 14 people dead and 51 injured. Russia’s Investigative Committee has launched a terrorist probe into the incident. Another explosive device has also been found and defused.
READ MORE: Explosion in St. Petersburg Metro, fatalities confirmed (GRAPHIC IMAGES)
05 April 2017
Six people suspected being involved in recruiting people on behalf of terrorist organizations have been detained in St Petersburg, the Russian Investigative Committee reported. They are all guest workers from Central Asian countries, who are suspected of targeting other central Asians living in the Russian city since at least November 2015.
The committee stressed that, so far, it has found no evidence linking the six detainees to the alleged in Monday’s suicide attack in a St Petersburg Metro train.
Russia’s Investigative Committee has instructed investigators to determine if the prime suspect had any connections to Islamist groups. They will now be looking into “the suspect’s identity, as well as his links to members of Islamic State [previously ISIS/ISIL],” the agency’s spokesperson Svetlana Petrenko has said.
04 April 2017
READ MORE: Eiffel Tower dims its lights for St. Petersburg attack victims after public outcry
Russia’s Investigative Committee has published on its website the list of the identified victims of the St. Petersburg Metro blast.
Ten out of 14 people who lost their lives in the attack on Monday have been identified so far, it said.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced that the Eiffel Tower will dim its lights on Tuesday evening in memory of the victims of the St. Petersburg Metro tragedy.
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud telephoned Vladimir Putin to express condolences over the St. Petersburg Metro attack.
“The King of Saudi Arabia has condemned the barbaric act of terrorism in St. Petersburg and expressed his deep condolences to the president of Russia and the entire Russian nation,” the Kremlin said in statement.
“The heads of state reaffirmed the importance of intensifying international efforts in the fight against the terrorist threat,” it added.
Russia’s prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, has urged that addition measures be taken to monitor passengers on public transport in light of the St. Petersburg attack.
The authorities have already put a set of measures in place to increase safety on the metro, but “it’s obvious that they’re insufficient,” Medvedev said.
Russia’s prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, expressed confidence that those responsible for the terrorist attack on the St. Petersburg Metro will face punishment.
The PM said that those involved in planning and facilitating the attack will be tracked down, despite the fact that the person who actually carried it out is most likely dead.
Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan had a telephone conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin to convey his condolences over the bombing in the St. Petersburg Metro.
“I would like to say that Turkey stands with Russia in face of this treacherous terrorist attack. Our country, which has been combatting terrorism for years, perfectly understands Russia's grief,” Erdogan said, as cited by Anadolu news agency.
He also offered the nation’s deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and wished an immediate recovery to those injured in the attack.
The explosion in the St. Petersburg Metro has been discussed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Kremlin reported. The two leaders acknowledged the necessity to join forces in fighting terrorism in the light of the apparent bombing.
The Saint Petersburg Metro resumed service on Tuesday afternoon following an inspection of all stations and tunnels. No explosives were found during the checks. “Starting from 1:45pm [local time], operations are back to normal,” the Metro said in a statement. Stations and tunnels were checked for explosives after an unidentified object was discovered on a track between stations at 6:20am local time, less than an hour after the stations opened, the St. Petersburg Metro wrote on Telegram, as cited by RIA Novosti.
Twelve people injured in the blast are currently in a critical condition, Poltavchenko, said.
Sennaya Ploshchad station has been closed following an anonymous call warning of a bomb threat, the St. Petersburg Metro said, as cited by Russian news agencies. There is no official confirmation that any explosive device has been found.
All the victims of the blast have been identified, Director of St. Petersburg Research Institute of Emergency Medicine Valery Parfenov, told journalists.
Three foreigners and people from 17 Russian regions were injured in the explosion, St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko said.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the recent blast shows the importance of taking joint action to battle terrorism.
“[The tragedy] once again shows the importance of stepping up joint efforts to combat this evil [terrorism]," Lavrov said at a meeting with his Kyrgyz counterpart, Erlan Abdyldayev.
The driver who was operating the train in which the blast took place said he took the measures called for in case of emergency.
“I acted according to instructions ... At that moment there was no time to think about fear, it was necessary to work. There was no panic,” he said, talking to journalists.
In a sign of solidarity, Alexander Drozdenko, the governor of Leningrad region, took the metro to work on Tuesday, the administration’s press spokesperson told TASS.
Drozdenko arrived at the Technologichesky Institut station near the area where the blast took place and laid flowers in honor of the victims, the official added.
The death toll in the St. Petersburg Metro blast has reached 14, Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said.
“Eleven people died at the scene and three more succumbed to their injuries,” she added at a press conference on Tuesday.
The spokesperson told Russian news agencies, including TASS and RIA Novosti, that GKNB has identified the suspect as Akbarzhon Jalilov, a Russian citizen who was born in Kyrgyzstan in 1995.
The explosion went off in the third car of the train, EMERCOM said, as cited by RIA Novosti. The ministry added that 1,043 emergency services workers and 267 pieces of equipment were involved in the rescue operation.
At least 49 of those injured are still in the hospital, Russian EMERCOM said in a statement.
The St. Petersburg Metro has resumed its services, the city administration said in a statement.
A Russian citizen of Kyrgyz origin is “possibly” behind the Metro explosion, a spokesman for Kyrgyzstan's State Committee for National Security (GKNB), Rahat Sulaimanov, told Interfax.
Russian officials have not confirmed this so far.
Kazakhstan’s security services are working with Russia, looking into a suspect who is apparently a Russian citizen and a native of Central Asia, though not Kazakhstan, Nurgali Bilisbekov of Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee said.
“Earlier, media reported that a Kazakh citizen, Aryshev Maksim, born in 1996, was allegedly involved in the blast. I want to say that this information is not true,” he added.
The condition of the youngest of the known victims, a 15-year-old girl, has been improving, the deputy head of Children’s Hospital No. 19, where the girl is being treated, told TASS.
“There is no threat to the girl’s life. Her condition is moderately severe. She is stable, healing up well,” Anna Medvedeva said.
The girl’s grandmother was also injured as result of the blast, but she refused to be hospitalized and the children’s hospital allowed her to stay in the ward together with her granddaughter. The girl has suffered a traumatic brain injury and burns.
Following an urgent security check, Grazhdansky Prospect and Devyatkino stations of the St. Petersburg Metro have been reopened.
“Both stations were opened at 6:38am after the inspection,” the St. Petersburg Metro press service said.
No information on the suspicious object found on the tracks was immediately available.
St. Petersburg Metro has closed two Red Line stations, Grazhdansky Prospect and Devyatkino, after an unidentified object was discovered on the track between the stations.
The object was discovered at 6:20am, less than an hour after the stations opened, St. Petersburg Metro wrote on Telegram, as cited by RIA Novosti.
"Grazhdanskii Prospect and Devyatkino stations are closed. The line is opened until Akademicheskaya station," the statement added.
A citizen of Belarus has been injured as result of the attack and has already undergone surgery at the hospital in St. Petersburg, the country’s Foreign Ministry wrote on Twitter. There is no current threat to his life, it said, saying that his condition can be described as moderately severe.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said he was “shocked” by the news on the deadly blast which struck St. Petersburg Metro in a telegram he sent to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
“China strongly condemns this terrorist act against civilians,” Wang wrote, as cited by RIA Novosti.
A list with the names of the people that have been injured in the blast and are currently receiving treatment in St. Petersburg’s hospitals has been released by the Emergencies Ministry. A total of 51 people distributed among seven hospitals are included in the list. Of them, four women have not been identified, with only their presumable age given.
03 April 2017
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin have held a discussion by telephone in the aftermath of Monday’s deadly explosion in St. Petersburg, during which the US and Russian leaders underscored the importance of joint efforts in the fight against terrorism.
“The Presidents noted that terrorism is the evil against which it is necessary to fight together,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, as cited by RIA Novosti, adding that the leaders have agreed to “maintain contacts.”
Trump “has expressed his deep condolences to the relatives and loved ones of those killed as a result of a barbaric terrorist act,” while Putin thanked him for showing solidarity with the Russian people, Peskov said.
US Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer has said that he hopes those behind the explosion in St. Petersburg will be “brought to justice,” and has expressed support for those affected by the attack on Twitter.
Seriously injured victims of the attack have already undergone surgery, Russian Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said, adding that doctors have expressed cautious hopes that the patients’ condition will improve soon.
“We hope, the dynamics will be positive. Another medical consultation will take place in the morning,” she said.
Most of the victims are being treated at the Janelidze Research Institute of Emergency Medicine, where Skvortsova visited. They are suffering from damage to body tissues incurred by the elements of an explosive device. A total of 18 victims have been treated at the facility, including four who are critically injured. Two women taken to the hospital after the blast have not been identified yet, Skvortsova said.
St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko has made a video statement, expressing his condolences and pledging retaliation against the suspected bombers.
“The villains have not attained their goal. Nobody has ever managed to intimidate our city, this time will be no exception,” Poltavchenko said, adding that he has "no doubt" that the perpetrators will be found and punished.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said it is too early to classify the Metro blast as a terrorist attack, although he said that the “signs pointing to a terrorist attack are plain to see.”
“From a legal point of view, it is wrong to speak about a terrorist attack just now, because, as the versions will be excluded the investigative authorities will be able to say definitely that it is a terrorist attack,” he said, refusing to comment on unconfirmed reports that the explosion was perpetrated by a suicide bomber.
“This is for the investigative authorities to do,” he said, in answer to a request for a comment.
Media reports, citing law enforcement sources, said that the remains of a man of Central Asian appearance were found in the suspected epicenter of the St. Petersburg Metro blast.
“The body of a native of one of the Central Asian countries has been discovered in a possible epicenter of the explosion. But it is too early to call him a suicide attacker,” the source told Sputnik news agency.
Vladimir Putin has presided over a meeting of security and rescue experts in St. Petersburg held in the aftermath of the explosion, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. The meeting was attended by the representatives of the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Interior Ministry, the Emergencies Ministry and the National Guard. Putin is being “constantly” provided with the latest information on the ongoing investigation by the special services and investigative authorities, Peskov added.
The US government is extending its “deepest condolences to the loved ones of those who were killed" in St. Petersburg, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement, adding that "our thoughts and prayers are with those injured in the attack and with the Russian people.”
The metro driver who operated the train where the blast took place will be put forward for a decoration for his actions that helped save lives during the emergency, a St. Petersburg metro representative told RIA Novosti.
“If the train wasn’t driven to the station, the explosion could have caused many more victims in the enclosed space of the tunnel,” she said, adding that the driver acted in accordance with established procedures.
President Vladimir Putin has laid flowers at the Tekhnologichesky Institut metro station, paying tribute to the people killed in the explosion.
“According to updated information, 11 people were killed in the blast while 45 injured are currently in hospitals,” Russia’s National Antiterrorism Committee (NAC) said in a statement.
“Health Ministry personnel have taken all necessary measures to provide the people injured in the explosion and their relatives with medical and psychological aid,” the statement also said.
Donald Trump hasn’t talked to President Putin yet, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said at a press conference. He added that “the violence that occurred in Russia is something we’ve already started reaching out on, from a government-to-government standpoint.”
Russia’s Investigative Committee believes the explosive device may have been detonated by a suicide bomber, a source from law enforcement told RIA Novosti, adding that investigators are considering various theories.
“The United States condemns this reprehensible attack and act of violence” in St. Petersburg, White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said, adding that attacks like these “remind us that the world must work as one to combat violence in all forms.”
The US is ready to offer assistance with the investigation, he also said.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that “everything points to the fact that this was a cowardly attack,” which she also described as “a barbaric act” in a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“My thoughts are with the families of those who died and were injured, I wish them a speedy recovery,” Merkel wrote.
French President Francois Hollande has expressed “his solidarity with the Russian people after the explosion in the St. Petersburg subway,” his official Twitter account said.
The St. Petersburg metro has resumed partial service, the press service reported. However, the stations Sennaya ploshchad and Tekhnologichesky Institut, between which the explosion took place, are still closed and cordoned off. Security checks at entrances to the metro have been increased.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry has issued a statement, condemning the explosion in the St. Petersburg metro and also extending “sincere condolences to the bereaved kin of those who lost their lives in the incident, as well as to the Russian leadership and the friendly Russian nation.”
US President Donald Trump condemned the explosion in the St. Petersburg Metro in which 10 people died and dozens were injured, calling the incident a “terrible thing.”
Apple CEO Tim Cook tweeted in Russian, extending his “sincere condolences to all those affected by the tragedy in St Petersburg.”
The authorities are searching for two people suspected of being implicated in the bombing, a law enforcement source told Interfax.
“One of them planted the explosive device that went off inside the train, the second one left the explosive device at the Ploshchad Vosstaniya station,” the source said, adding that the second bomb was concealed as a fire extinguisher.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned the explosion in St. Petersburg, his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.
“The Secretary-General condemns today’s bombing in the St. Petersburg metro. He extends his deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the victims and to the government and the people of the Russian Federation,” Dujarric said.
The St. Petersburg Metro has not been reopened yet, a transport official told RIA Novosti.
“The Metro is still closed. We are waiting for an order from security forces that are checking all stations and tunnels. The volume of works is large, we can’t rule out we will still be working at night,” she said.
France has increased public transport security following the explosion in St. Petersburg, Reuters reported.
“Following the events in the St. Petersburg Metro, and as a precautionary measure, Interior Minister Matthias Fekl has decided to redeploy security means in public transport across the Paris region,” the ministry said in a statement.
“Amid an extremely high terrorism threat, the government continues to take measures to protect the French people.”
Russia’s Investigative Committee has described the explosion as a terrorist attack, but other theories about the incident causes are also being considered, Svetlana Petrenko, a spokeswoman for the Investigative Committee, told TASS.
Three days of mourning starting from tomorrow has been announced in St. Petersburg, according to an order issued by the city’s governor, Sergey Poltavchenko.
Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency has ordered additional security measures to be taken by all airports and air companies to “prevent possible acts of illegal involvement, including terrorist-related…” TASS reported.
The defused bomb found in a bag left at the Ploshchad Vosstaniya station contained destructive agents, the St. Petersburg Federal Security Service Directorate said.
“The device was defused by specialists in time, there are no victims,” the service said in a statement.
A photo reportedly showing a defused explosive device at the Ploshchad Vosstaniya station emerged online.
Security has been tightened at education facilities in St. Petersburg, the city’s education committee said.
“The [education] committee has decided to step up security measures due to what happened at the metro,” the committee said in a statement, according to TASS.
Chief Mufti of Moscow and Central Russia Albir Krganov has expressed his condolences to the relatives of the people who died in the accident. He called on Russians to be strong, patient, and united, according to RIA Novosti.
“If a terrorist-related version is confirmed, the orchestrators of such inhumane acts are waiting for chaos, fear and split in society, and we should meet them with unity in our civil society, patience and a response from law enforcement officials to find the masterminds behind those acts,” the mufti said.
Seven people were killed on the spot, one died on the way to the hospital, and two died in the hospital of mine explosion type injuries and serious skin burns, Skvortsova said. Six of the injured are in serious condition, she added.
Ten people died and 37 were injured in the explosion, Russian Healthcare Minister Veronika Skvortsova said. Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said earlier that nine people died. Two of the victims died of injuries sustained in the explosion, including severe burns, Skvortsova also said.
People in Moscow are bringing flowers and candles to the St. Petersburg city office, to pay tribute to the people who died in the blast. Tomorrow anyone will be able to express their condolences in a so-called Memory Book, the office press service said, according to TASS.
Another witness, Maksim Vlasov, was on his way down to Tekhnologichesky Institut station when he “found out that there’s a lot of smoke inside.”
“While we tried to get out, some said they were right in front of the blast and that people were injured; some people are dead,” Vlasov told RT.
When he got out of the station, he saw that there were around 50 police and rescue vehicles at the scene already, he recalled.
A self-made explosive device has been defused at another St. Petersburg Metro station – Ploshchad Vosstaniya, Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee said.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin has ordered security to be stepped up in the Moscow Metro, the Moscow Central Ring and intercity trains, the Moscow Transport service tweeted. Three trains of the Moscow Central Ring have been evacuated after an unidentified object was located. Experts are currently investigating, a source told RIA Novosti.
At least nine people were killed and more than 20 injured in a blast in St. Petersburg on Monday, Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee (NAK) said. "According to preliminary data, at least nine people were killed, and over 20 people were injured, some of them gravely."
The hashtag #prayforstpetersburg has been trending on Twitter.
Security measures have been strengthened on the Moscow Central Circle, a 54km-long rail line in the Russian capital, TASS reported, citing traffic agencies.
The French embassy in Russia has expressed condolences to the families of the victims on Twitter.
All travel on city transport will be free of charge for the rest of Monday, St. Petersburg Transport tweeted.
The Russian Anti-Terrorism Committee has confirmed the information about one blast, calling on the media not to spread reports about two explosions.
Estonian PM Juri Ratas has sent condolences to the families of the victims.
Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, has dismissed reports that the Russian president was due to pass by the Metro station where the blast took place. President Putin was meeting with Belarusian leader Aleksandr Lukashenko in St Petersburg when the news of the blast emerged.
A St. Petersburg resident told RT that he “was going to Mayakovskaya station [not far from Sennaya Square, the station that was hit] when the alarm went on and the security guards started to block all the entrances.
“As there was an announcement that all the stations will be closed due to technical reasons,” people understood that something was wrong and rushed to the exits, he said.
“This is terrible news from St. Petersburg: Our compassion goes to all victims and their families,” German government spokesman Steffen Seibert tweeted.
Forty-one brigades of ambulances are currently working at the scene of the explosion, the city governor's press secretary, Andrey Kibitov said, as cited by RIA Novosti.
Forty-one ambulance teams are currently working at the scene of the explosion, the city governor's press secretary, Andrey Kibitov, said, as cited by RIA Novosti.
Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev has ordered the heads of the Emergency Committee (EMERCOM) and Health Ministry to provide all necessary help to the victims of the explosion.
All those injured in the explosion have been taken to hospitals, Elena Mikhina, the press secretary of St. Petersburg Vice Governor Igor Albin, told Interfax. At least 25 people, including one child, have been taken to hospitals in St. Petersburg following the blast, Interfax reported, citing local health services.
Facebook has activated the ‘Safety Check Tool’ for the explosion in the St. Petersburg Metro.
The US embassy in Russia has expressed condolences to families of the victims, Russian media report. The embassy has also issued a warning for US citizens. "Review your personal security plans; remain aware of your surroundings, including local events; and monitor local news stations for updates. Maintain a high level of vigilance and take appropriate steps to enhance your personal security,” the statement said.
St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport has increased security measures, an airport spokesperson said, as cited by Russian media.
At least 10 people have been killed in the explosion, the city governor's press secretary, Andrey Kibitov, told Rossiya 24 TV channel, citing preliminary data.
An unexploded device has been found at Ploshchad Vosstaniya Metro station in St. Petersburg, Fontanka newspaper reported on Facebook, adding that the device is currently being deactivated.
The explosive device was 200-300 grams of TNT equivalent, a law enforcement agency source told Interfax.
The National Anti-Terrorism Committee said that it has introduced measures to prevent further explosions in the St. Petersburg Metro.
The evacuation operation in the St. Petersburg Metro has almost been completed, the National Anti-Terrorism Committee said.
The National Anti-Terrorism Committee said that the explosion took place between Tekhnologichesky Institut and Sennaya Square metro stations, adding that there have been casualties. Officers from Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) are currently investigating the place of the incident, alongside police.
All subway stations in St. Petersburg have been closed, Metro officials said.
Some children have been injured in the explosion, a law enforcement source told Sputnik. "There are children among the victims who were most likely on spring break. However, their number and names are unknown at the moment," the source added.
All possible causes of the explosion are being considered, including the version of a terrorist attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
At least 20 people have been injured following the blast, an Emergencies Ministry source told Interfax. Most were hit by shrapnel from the explosion, the source said, adding that some of the victims are being removed from the damaged car with the help of special equipment.
Eight Metro stations have been closed following the blast, St. Petersburg Metro officials said.
The Moscow Metro is taking extra security measures after the blast, a Metro official told Interfax.
At least 10 people have been injured in the blast at a St. Petersburg Metro station, a Russian emergency services source told Sputnik, citing preliminary information. "According to preliminary data, the number of injured is no less than 10. The door of the car is pulled out."
St Petersburg prosecutors have started an inquiry into the incident in the metro, Tass reported, citing metro press service.
The Metro office said it received reports of an explosion inside the car, possibly of an improvised explosive device. Evacuation of people from the affected stations is underway.
At least seven subway stations have been closed following the blast, St. Petersburg Metro said in a statement.