The explosion occurred close to a restaurant terrace on Kudrinskaya Square in Moscow on Saturday evening
Three people have lost their lives and 21 others have been injured after an explosion near a restaurant in Moscow, police have confirmed.
The blast took place close to a restaurant terrace on Kudrinskaya Square in Moscow on Saturday evening at around 8:10pm (6:10pm BST), the Interior Ministry said in a statement on the Russian social media platform Max.
Officials told state news agency Ria Novosti that the explosion led to “three deaths and 15 injured, of varying degrees of seriousness”. The committee later revised the injury toll from 15 people to 21, taking the total number of casualties to at least 24.
Those hurt were being treated medically.
The deaths 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,” a committee statement reported by the Tass news agency said.
Video released by the agency showed heavily armed police officers at the scene, which had been sealed off from members of the public, the BBC reports.
The exact cause remains uncertain, though the Baza Telegram channel suggested it happened in the establishment’s kitchen.
A witness told the channel the venue was holding a wedding reception with approximately 50 guests present, adding that they saw people being carried out covered in blood after the explosion. Scores of cyclists had gathered in the vicinity for a planned evening ride through the city, though the event was subsequently cancelled.
Police and emergency services were deployed to the scene, with authorities confirming that an investigation into the cause of the explosion was under way.
Russian media reported that traffic in the area surrounding the square has been temporarily suspended, and the entrances to Barrikadnaya metro station have been closed.
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