An improvised explosive device detonated near a restaurant terrace on Kudrinskaya Square in central Moscow on Saturday evening, killing three people and injuring 21, the Interior Ministry confirmed. The blast occurred at approximately 8:10pm (6:10pm BST), and the ministry released a statement on Russian social media platform Max.
Emergency crews were sent to the scene, and the square was sealed off from the public. Traffic in the area surrounding the square was suspended temporarily, and access points to Barrikadnaya metro station were closed, according to Russian media outlets.
Death toll and casualties
Officials told state news agency Ria Novosti that the incident led to "three deaths and 15 injured, of varying degrees of seriousness". The committee later revised the injury figure upwards from 15 to 21, taking the overall casualty toll to at least 24.
The injured were undergoing medical care.
Among the dead were "a security guard who prevented an unknown woman suspected of trying to carry the explosive device into the restaurant, the unknown woman and one of the visitors," a committee statement cited by the Tass news agency revealed.
Investigation and witness reports
The cause of the blast remains uncertain. The Baza Telegram channel suggested it happened within the restaurant's kitchen area.
An eyewitness told the channel that a wedding reception with approximately 50 attendees was taking place at the premises, stating they saw bloodied individuals being carried out in the aftermath of the explosion. Dozens of cyclists who had gathered in the vicinity for an evening ride through the city saw their plans abandoned.
Video footage published by the agency showed heavily armed police officers at the scene, which had been sealed off from members of the public, the BBC reports. Officials have confirmed an investigation into what triggered the blast.
