FACTBOX: What we know about blast involving Rylsky District officials in Kursk Region

Emergencies July 03, 16:47

Four people sustained injuries

KURSK, July 3. /TASS/. A car carrying employees of the Rylsky District administration hit a mine in Russia’s Kursk Region, Governor Alexander Khinshtein reported.

Four people sustained injuries.

TASS has compiled the key facts about the incident.

Incident

- A car with Rylsky District administration employees exploded in central Rylsk on Friday morning, Alexander Khinshtein wrote on Max messenger channel.

- The explosive device was triggered remotely.

- The blast site has been cordoned off, and sappers are working there.

Casualties

- District head Vladimir Kovalchuk was wounded in the blast, the governor reported.

- Kovalchuk sustained a mine-blast injury and blind shrapnel wounds to his legs.

- Director of the economic maintenance department Sergey Besedin was driving the car.

- The man suffered a non-penetrating abdominal wound and shrapnel damage to his hip.

- Besedin is currently undergoing surgery at Rylsk Central District Hospital.

- Two more individuals, the head of the culture department and a civil defense and emergencies situations specialist, were standing on the porch of a nearby building.

- They sustained acoustic barotrauma and blind shrapnel wounds to their arms and legs from the blast wave, Khinshtein said.

- They are being transported to Rylsk hospital and will be sent to Kursk if necessary.

- Kovalchuk is in moderately severe condition, trending toward serious, Alexander Popov, a representative of the Federal Center for Disaster Medicine, told journalists.

- Two blast victims received minor injuries, while another is being delivered to a medical facility, Popov said.

- He clarified that all victims are being monitored by regional and federal health ministries.

Response

- The Main Investigative Directorate of the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under Article 205 of the Russian Criminal Code (terrorist act).

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