Bomb blast in the center of Vitsebsk: 50 hurt :: Charter'97 :: News

50 people were injured in Vitsebsk from a blast of a bomb in the center of the city. The wounded were hospitalized with missile wounds and crania-cerebral traumas. According to Interior Ministry department, four of the injured are placed to the hospital in grave condition. Meanwhile doctor think that the number of injured can grow.

The accident has taken place in the center of Vitsebsk by the caf? “Eridan”, where young people usually gather. An improvised explosive device disguised as a beer tin packed with pieces of metal, has exploded.

An operational headquarters of Interior Ministry officers and the KGB (State Security Committee) has been created. Experts are to check all the versions of the incident, to determine the type of the bomb. Power of the bomb is not reported.

An analogous explosion took place in Vitsebsk on September 14 at a bus stop. A metal can packed with metal nails went off. Two persons were wounded; a criminal action related to the article “Malicious hooliganism” has been initiated.

Law-enforcers do not exclude that these both blasts have been made by the same criminals.

The Prosecutor’s office brought up a criminal case “murder attempt”, Interfax was told by police colonel Valyantsin Patapovich, who is in Vitsebsk at the scene now.

The autumn fair has been cancelled in the city in connection with the accident, deputy head of the Vitsebsk regional executive committee Pyotr Yuzhyk said. “Concerts and a hockey match are to take place, but security measures are to be tightened”. He addressed citizens with an appeal to help in the investigation and inform everything that is known about the blast. Anonymity and an award are guaranteed.