Bomb explodes at Moscow restaurant, killing two victims and woman suspected of delivering device
By Anna Chernova, Alessandra Freitas, Darya Tarasova, CNN
(CNN) — A homemade bomb exploded during a private event at a restaurant in central Moscow on Saturday, killing two people as well as the woman suspected of carrying the device and injuring 21 others, according to state news agency RIA Novosti, which cited Russia’s National Anti-Terrorism Committee.
An unidentified woman attempted to enter Balzi Rossi restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square carrying what authorities believe was an improvised explosive device, the committee said. The bomb went off before she entered, killing the security guard who stopped her and a customer.
Authorities did not immediately identify the woman or say what motivated her actions. It was also unclear whether she deliberately detonated the device.
The apparent targets were guests attending a private event on the restaurant’s outdoor terrace, Russian business daily Kommersant reported. Sources told the newspaper that the event was heavily guarded, which may have prevented a significantly higher death toll.
Kommersant said a security guard became suspicious of a courier approaching with a box she described as a gift and decided to search her. The device exploded at that moment.
Investigators believe the bomb was detonated remotely, and a preliminary account indicates that the woman most likely did not know what the package contained, Kommersant reported.
The device had the explosive force of one kilogram of TNT and was packed with metal ball bearings intended to increase casualties, according to the newspaper.
The blast happened around 8:10 p.m. local time (1:10 p.m. ET) near the outdoor terrace, according to Russian state news agency TASS, which cited the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. The restaurant is located at the base of a landmark tower on Kudrinskaya Square, one of Moscow’s famous “Seven Sisters,” a group of Stalinist skyscrapers built in the 1950s.
The explosion immediately prompted the deployment of an investigative task force and a large number of police and emergency personnel to the site, which sits along the Garden Ring in Moscow’s central Presnensky district.
At the time of the blast, the venue was closed to the public for a private banquet, according to its website.
The restaurant’s chef, Carmine Alfieri thanked people for their support following the blast. He said the staff were safe and characterized the incident as “a minor issue.”
“We’re all fine, and our restaurant and kitchen are in perfect condition; there was just a minor issue at the restaurant entrance,” Alfieri said on Instagram without elaborating.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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