St Petersburg Metro explosions: Vladimir Putin says blasts could be terror attacks
Security services are working to establish the cause of the explosions
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The blasts on the St Petersburg Metro could be terror attacks, Vladimir Putin has said.
The Russian government is trying to establish the cause of the blasts and all causes are being considered, including terrorism, he said. A terror attack would be considered "first of all", he said in a statement.
“The causes of this event have not been determined yet, so it’s too early to talk about [possible causes]," Mr Putin said. "The investigation will show. Certainly, we will consider all variants, common, criminal, first of all, of a terrorist nature."
Mr Putin said that the cause of the incident still isn't clear, but that he had spoken to the heads of the Russian security services.
He offered his condolences to the families of those killed in the attack.
Mr Putin was visiting the city on an unrelated trip on the day of the attacks. He was due to meet with the Belarusian president later on.
As many as 50 people are thought to have been injured in the attack, with officials saying that 10 people were dead after the explosion.
Russia's National Anti-Terrorist Committee, which said "several" people were killed and injured, said an unidentified explosive device went off on a train that was travelling between two stations.
The agency that runs the subway said several stations in the northern Russian city were closed and that an evacuation was under way.
Social media users posted photographs and video from a subway station in the city centre, showing people lying on the floor and a train with a mangled door nearby.
Frantic commuters reached into doors and windows, trying to see if anyone was there and shouting: "Call an ambulance!"
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments