Belarus: Blast in Minsk subway kills 7, wounds 35

MINSK, Belarus – An explosion tore through a key subway station in the Belarusian capital of Minsk during evening rush hour Monday, killing seven people and wounding 50 others, officials said.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene saw heavily wounded people being carried out of the Oktyabrskaya subway station, including one person with missing legs.

Updates from all over (excuse the rough translation):

EXPLOSION IN MINSK
The authorities made no official statement for three hours

In ‘Novaya Gazeta’ 11.04.2011

11 people were killed, and the victims number in the dozens (photos and video by eyewitnesses)

Surveillance cameras caught the moment of the explosion in the ‘October’ station of the Minsk subway, and footage was shown on Belarusian central television. For three hours after the explosion, the authorities made no official statement.

On Monday evening an explosion took place in the ‘October’ station of the Minsk subway system, representatives of the Minsk Ministry of Emergency Situations reported. According to witnesses, black smoke was seen rising from the station’s underground passageway, and people running out in torn clothing. Some were shoeless. According to current data, 11 people perished and the wounded number in the dozens. ‘Novosti’ reports, with reference to the Russian ambassador to Belarus, that the explosion injured two Russian women: Olga Frolova, and Nadezhda Lukova.

Messages from Twitter users:

markdaim: After the explosion the taxi-vans are carrying people free of charge. Russia’s a long way from such reciprocity (a reference to reported taxi overcharges following last year’s Moscow subway attacks - ed).

jv_cyborg: I passed by October Square. People coming out of the subway in smoke and ashes. Bunch of fire trucks.

larik_kroft: It was already hard to live... but now it’s scary...

Natali_Kr / Natalia Krashevskaya: 23 injured from subway explosion were taken to Clinical Hospital #2 in Minsk

Anderic99: (+ 375) 017 212-74-21, 017 289 87 45, call, they need blood

lubovik: Mom finally answered the phone. Thank you, Lord.

shamer_al Alexandr: So many cops in this country, but no point... better if they did something

mehanik24:‘First Channel’ news - laid it all out in a minute and a half... So, it’s just an ordinary event...

Belarusian news website ‘TUT.by’ reports that, according to witnesses, the explosion occurred as soon as the doors of a subway train from Uruchya opened. It is not known if the explosion occurred on the station platform or inside the train. Eyewitnesses say that there were victims lying on the platform.

Here is what Andrei Shurko, editor of the Belarusian newspaper ‘Nasha Niva’, told ‘Novaya Gazeta’:

“The explosion occurred at about 18:00, Minsk time (19:00 Moscow time). For now there is no official information available, but there are definitely dozens injured and, according to them, several deaths. Right now the emergencies ministry is on the scene. Ambulances have already taken away the injured and movement (on the subway) has been resumed. ‘October’ station is in the very center; rush hour is from 17:30 to 19:00 when people are returning from work. This is the first terrorist attack on the subway in our country.”

The ‘Charter 97’ opposition website is also publishing eyewitness accounts. They report that, after the explosion, a train passed the station without stopping. Another witness claims that there is a half-meter deep crater at ‘October’ station. According to a ‘Novosti’ correspondent, the ministers of health and information came to the scene, as well as the mayor of Minsk and the heads of all the city police and KGB divisions.

According to another version, the explosion did not occur on the station platform, but near the escalators in the passageway between the ‘October’ and ‘Kupalov’ subway stations. Eyewitnesses claim that the explosion collapsed the ceiling above the escalators, and that people were crushed by debris.

According to reports by Twitter users (messages are arriving at the hash tag #minsk), ‘ONT’ television just announced seven dead and 50 wounded, and that “the cause was an explosive device.”

Video from the scene was posted on You Tube by the staff of ‘Nasha Niva’ (WARNING, GRAPHIC FOOTAGE).

INFO FROM ‘NOVAYA’:

On the night of July 3-4, 2008, there was an explosion during a gala Independence Day concert. According to official figures, 46 people were wounded, most from shrapnel wounds to the extremities. There were no deaths. Law enforcement agencies determined that an improvised explosive device packed with nuts and bolts had been used.

Criminal proceedings were instituted under Part 3 of Article 339 of the Criminal Code, ‘Hooliganism’. “This was most likely hooliganism by persons unhappy that Minsk was holding a beautiful celebration. Someone of such leanings set off an explosive device,” said Minsk police chief at the time, General Anatoly Kuleshov. According to some reports, the police were looking for a dark-skinned man, who shortly before the explosion left a package under a tree. Alexander Lukashenko at the time dismissed suggestions that the explosion was directed against him, as well as claims that the authorities could be using the incident to put pressure on the opposition and accuse it of involvement. Culprits in that bombing were never found.

April 11th, 2011. Witness photos.

Photos by Twitter user yuliasssik http://twitter.com/yuliasssik (See original, or here: link)

***

9:30 pm. From reports by Minsk blogger ‘voolchitza’ http://voolchitza.livejournal.com/:

As a result of the explosion in the subway, there are at least 70 people with injuries of varying severity who were taken taken to medical facilities in Minsk. The victims' traumas are mostly burns and injuries to the lower limbs - evidence of a powerful explosion. According to witnesses and the Belarusian online media, the load-bearing structures at 'October' subway station have been damaged. Presumably, the explosion occurred in the last car of the subway train.

***

Pictures by blogger Anton Motolko, Goto: (link)

April 11th, 2011 20:02

In Novaya Gazeta link

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author: Updates, please visit, Date: 11/04/2011 22:33 On April 11th there was an explosion in the Minsk metro station 'October'.

21:59 22 people in serious condition, injured in the explosion at 'October' station," reported Health Minister Vasily Zharko.

21:56 Criminal case was initiated because of the explosion in the Minsk metro, reported Andrei Shved, Deputy Prosecutor General of Belarus and head of the group investigating the circumstances of the explosion.

“Today at about 17:54 there was an act of terror at the ‘October’ subway station. Because of this a criminal case has been opened, and a joint investigation team appointed,” said Andrei Shved. According to him, they are currently carrying out the necessary investigations.

In addition, the deputy prosecutor general said that results from the examination of the scene and the following forensic examinations would be used to develop and investigate in full all theories associated with the situation. “The Head of State has given specific, clear, and understandable instructions on the organization of the criminal proceedings, assistance to the victims, and carrying out other activities aimed at minimizing the consequences of situation,” added Andrei Shved, according to (Belarus telegraph agency) ‘BELTA’.

21:55 Alexander Lukashenko held an emergency meeting on the subway explosion. The President instructed the Attorney General to set up an investigative team and reinforce law enforcement officers and KGB. Appointed leader of this team was Deputy Prosecutor Andrei Shved. Lukashenko demanded that, as soon as possible, Shved investigate “everything down to the smallest detail.” “Those responsible for this must be found,” said Lukashenko. In his words, “a serious challenge has been thrown to us.”

Lukashenko also said that he had already spoken with the Russian president, who promised Belarus all assistance it might need. In particular, assistance in assessing the situation could be provided by Russian law enforcement agencies familiar with similar situations, and physicians with experience in treating injuries received in a terrorist attack, including psychological.

According to Lukashenko, the chairman of the (Belarus) Committee of State Security is assuming personal responsibility for the investigation of the explosion. Lukashenko also instructed him to examine possible links between today’s explosion and the blast that occurred on Independence Day in 2008. “We need to figure out who stood to profit from this, who does not like a stable and peaceful environment in our country,” said Lukashenko.

The President also ordered: “security measures be reinforced to the utmost.” “We must act decisively. All units of the Interior Ministry should be under the gun. Turn everything inside out. Particular attention should be paid to transportation security and in places of mass gathering,” said Lukashenko.

Lukashenko instructed the Defense Minister to check all the stores of ammunition, especially explosives.

“I do not rule out that this gift could have been brought to us from the outside,” said Lukashenko.

He demanded that all lists of victims be immediately posted: “Tell the people everything you know.”

Lukashenko instructed the government and the authorities in Minsk to help victims and bereaved families. “Help everybody, without delay. Finance all costs from the city budget,” said Lukashenko.

He also demanded more transportation links in the capital. “This event should not paralyze the life of the city. Send in the needed numbers of buses. Use MAZ (trucks),” said Lukashenko.

21:38 ‘First Channel’ reports that, according to updated data the blast killed 11 and injured 126. Criminal case opened. The main theory is a terrorist attack.

21:19 11 people are in intensive care of the Minsk City Emergency Hospital.

As was reported on ‘First Channel’ by Viktor Sirenko, the hospital’s chief physician, the patients are in serious condition, mostly with injuries to the extremities, including amputation. Doctors are currently fighting for their (patients’) lives in the operating rooms.

22 victims were brought to the emergency hospital.

In addition to the emergency hospital, victims were taken to the City Clinics 1, 2, 3, and 6 in the capital.

21:18 The explosion occurred on the platform in the ‘October’ subway station at 17:55 near the second train car, according to Alexander Lastovsky, press officer for the Minsk city administration and local department of the Interior Ministry.

He did not specify in which direction the train was heading, but it was earlier made known that it was heading in the direction of the ‘Culture Institute’ subway station.

Officers from the Prosecutor General’s Office and Interior Ministry are working the scene of the explosion. Minsk police are at full alert.

Lastovsky advised citizens to be vigilant in relation with the serious situation.

The question of criminal proceedings is now being decided. “I cannot tell you his qualifications, but various theories are being put to the test,” said the representative of the police department.

21:10 The question of initiating a criminal investigation into the explosion in the Minsk metro is being decided, ‘BELTA’ has learned from Alexander Lastovsky, press officer for the Minsk city administration and local department of the Interior Ministry.

21:00 The first list of victims of the Minsk subway (explosion) has been published. Around 19:30 lists of victims located at City Clinical Hospital #2 appeared there. 23 people are on the list. A list of victims brought to the Minsk Emergency Hospital was also published.

20:44 Following the subway bombing there were disruptions in Internet and mobile communications. Due to the large number of requests, it was difficult to access the news sites during the first hours, and cellular networks were overloaded due to citizens calling relatives and friends.

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