Explosion in Rostov-on-Don triggers wave of reports about suspicious objects

Today, law enforcers of Rostov-on-Don have made at least five visits in response to reports about suspicion objects. No explosive devices were found, said the Investigating Committee of the Russian Federation (ICRF).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that today an explosion occurred near the building of Rostov School No. 5; as a result of which a man was seriously injured. The explosion occurred, when he picked up an object looking like a flashlight in the street.

After the explosion, operative agents cordoned off the Central Marketplace; evacuated the house No. 8/2 in Kosmonavtov Avenue because of some suspicious package; cordoned off Pushkinskaya and Beregovaya Streets; and checked a box in Voroshilov Bridge.

The above flashlight contained a capsule, where gunpowder was supposed to be. Although the device contained no striking elements, the explosion was so powerful, that if the flashlight had been picked up by a child, it would had hardly survived, writes the "Life" with reference to its law enforcement source.

The device's power was less than 30 grams in TNT (trotyl) equivalent, which is comparable to a powerful firecracker; therefore, investigators do not consider the version of a terror act, the "Russian Reporter" writes referring to its source.

Frants Klintsevich, a member of the Committee for Defence and Security of the Council of Federation, agrees that the incident cannot be regarded as a terror act.

"I think it was malicious hooliganism. Apparently, someone decided to simulate the explosion in the metro of Saint Petersburg," the "Parliamentary Newspaper" quotes Mr Klintsevich as saying.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.