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Nashville mayor says Friday’s explosion was 'deliberate'

In his words, the blast "was intended to create chaos and fear in this season of peace and hope"

© AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

NEW YORK, December 26. /TASS/. Initial information suggests that the explosion that rocked the US city of Nashville, Tennessee, on Friday was a deliberate bomb blast, Nashville Mayor John Cooper told reporters.

"Initial evidence does show that it was a deliberate bomb being set off in our community," he said at a media briefing.

In his words, the blast "was intended to create chaos and fear in this season of peace and hope."

"We won’t rest until those responsible for this cowardly attack are brought to justice," Cooper said, adding that three persons hospitalized after the blast were in stable condition.

He also announced that a curfew will be in place in the blast-hit district for the next few days, but expressed hope that the city with a population of about 700,000 would soon return to normal life.

Nashville police said in a Twitter post on Friday that a recreational vehicle (RV) exploded in the city center at 6:30 local time (15:30 Moscow time) on Friday. Three people were taken to a hospital, but their injuries are not life-threatening. Police described the blast as an "intentional act." The explosion was preceded by a recorded warning, heard from the RV.

According to Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake, remains probably belonging to a human were found at the scene of the explosion. "We found tissue that we believe could be human remains," he told reporters late on Friday. However, according to Drake, police currently have no information proving that anyone died in the blast.

The incident is being investigated by the FBI and local law enforcement bodies. Outgoing US President Donald Trump and president-elect Joseph Biden have been informed about it.

Departures from the Nashville International Airport have been suspended in the wake of the incident. "Due to telecommunications issues associated with this morning’s incident in downtown Nashville, FAA [the Federal Aviation Authority] has temporarily halted flights out of BNA," the airport said in a Twitter post.

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