MOSCOW, April 3. /TASS/. The professionalism and fortitude demonstrated by the motorman helped avoid more deaths during the St. Petersburg subway explosion, spokeswoman for Russia’s Investigative Committee Svetlana Petrenko said on Monday.

"The information obtained during the initial investigative procedures show that the motorman of the subway train that was struck by the explosion acted professionally in this situation," the spokeswoman said.

"The blast occurred in a stretch between stations and the train driver made the fully correct decision not to stop the train and headed to the station, which helped immediately launch the evacuation and provide assistance to injured passengers," she said.

"It is not ruled out that this helped avoid a larger death toll," the Investigative Committee spokeswoman said.