Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Alexei Murzhankov, a duty officer at the Vitebsk city department of the ministry, said 25 of those injured in last night's blast were hospitalized, four of whom were in intensive care.
Murzhankov said the explosion occurred just outside the Eridan cafe, a temporary, partially open-air structure of the sort often set up to attract customers in the summer. The cafe has a dance floor and an outdoor area.
The bomb, which had been packed with pieces of metal, had been buried in a flower-bed outside the cafe, the Vitebsk regional police said. The composition of the device, and the fact that the explosion occurred when the square was crowded with customers, accounts for the large number of injured but apparently minimal damage to the cafe tent itself, which was shown intact on television.
Investigators did not discuss possible motives for the attack, but the location suggests a business dispute could not be ruled out as a cause. The Belarusian Security Council said it was looking at several scenarios, including a fight between criminal gangs and hooliganism, the RIA-Novosti news agency reported.It was the second such explosion in the town, 300 kilometres northeast of the capital, Minsk, in just over a week.
In the previous incident on 14 September, a homemade bomb - a beer can stuffed with nails and metal scraps - was planted in a flower-bed near a bus stop close to a theatre. That blast wounded two people.
Prosecutors launched an investigation on charges of hooliganism in last week's incident.
Vitebsk is best known outside Belarus as the birthplace of painter Marc Chagall.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments