Approximately 10 people were killed and at least 50 were injured Monday by an explosion that took place in a subway car in St. Petersburg, Russia, The New York Times reports. The explosion was the result of a homemade bomb that detonated while the car was moving through the subway tunnel; estimates of the death count have varied since the news of the explosion first broke.
The attack took place around 2:30 p.m. local time in St. Petersburg, the second largest city in Russia behind Moscow, Russia’s capital. The explosion was located between the Technology Institute station and the Sennaya Square station in the center of the city, according to The Associated Press.
Russian police and investigators were unclear on who was responsible for the explosion or what their motivations were, and President Vladimir Putin said in a statement to the media that the explosion was still being considered as either “an accident, a criminal act [or] terrorism.” Putin himself was in St. Petersburg at the time of the explosion.
In addition to the first explosion, a second bomb was discovered and disarmed at the nearby Revolutionary Square station, so it seems likely that this explosion and the second bomb’s potential explosion were premeditated.
“‘Those who suffered during the terrorist act in the St. Petersburg metro will be provided with all the necessary assistance,’” said Dmitry Medvedev, Prime Minister of Russia, in a Facebook post, according to CNN.
Subway service stopped and cars and stations were evacuated immediately after the blast. “The city announced that all surface transportation would be free until further notice,” to maintain the availability of public transport.
The investigations are open and ongoing, and for now it seems that the priority remains aiding victims and getting operations in St. Petersburg back to normal.