The blast struck beside a restaurant terrace on Kudrinskaya Square at about 8:10pm local time (6:10pm BST), the Interior Ministry said in a statement on the Russian social media platform Max. Police and emergency services were sent to the scene, and the area was cordoned off.
Authorities initially told state news agency Ria Novosti that the explosion had caused "three deaths and 15 injured, of varying degrees of seriousness". The injury count was later updated to 21, bringing the total number of casualties to at least 24. The wounded were receiving medical treatment.
Victims of the blast
The dead included "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," according to a committee statement reported by the Tass news agency.
The Baza Telegram channel reported that the explosion happened in the establishment's kitchen, but the cause remained unclear. A witness told the channel that the venue was hosting a wedding celebration with roughly 50 guests, and that people were carried out bloodied after the blast.
City disruption
Dozens of cyclists had been gathering nearby for an evening ride across the city, but the event was called off. Russian media reported that traffic near the square was temporarily halted and the entrances to the Barrikadnaya metro station were closed.
Footage released by the agency showed heavily armed law enforcement personnel at the location, with the scene closed off to the public. Authorities said the cause of the explosion was being investigated.
