Kindergarten bomb blast injures 5-year-old girl in Russia's Far East

[News_Editor]

Kindergarten bomb blast injures 5-year-old girl in Russia's Far East

2011-08-03 07:18:06 GMT+7 (ICT)

KHABAROVSK, RUSSIA (BNO NEWS) -- A five-year-old girl was injured on Tuesday morning when a home-made bomb exploded at a kindergarten in the Far East Russian city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the Itar-Tass News Agency reported on Wednesday.

The attack happened at around 7.25 a.m. local time when the young victim opened an aerosol spray-can which had been wrapped in gift wrapping paper. The bomb was also filled with bits of metal, nails, and metal wire.

After the blast, which was equivalent to about 5 to 7 grams (0.17 to 0.24 ounches) of TNT, the girl was rushed to a nearby hospital with severe burns to her hands and eyes. Doctors said she is being treated for complicated eye burn, a neck burn and injuries to the hands and body.

A council of town physicians said the girl's life was not in danger, although a decision to send her for treatment to a federal medical facility is possible.

Police believe that the device was set up deliberately to attract the attention of a child at the kindergarten. "According to preliminary data, the device contained additional elements - nails and metal scrap - to increase the damage," said director of the Interior Ministry's department for the Khabarovsk Territory, Andrei Sergeyev, as cited by Itar-Tass.

Experts said the bomb had not been assembled by a professional, which lessened its destructive effect. It exploded when the girl, upon seeing the gift box lying on the ground, kicked it and the aerosol spray-can rolled out of it.

Regional police later arrested a 28-year-old unemployed resident of Komsomolsk-on-Amur as the main suspect in the bombing. The man, who has a criminal record for hooliganism, admitted making the explosive device himself, according to local police via Itar-Tass.

Andrei Sergeyev said law-enforcement bodies had inspected the kindergarten in May and recommended to install CCTV cameras, replace the watchman and grate the windows. Yet the recommendation was still not fully implemented when the attack happened.

Sergeyev also said he had ordered police to check security measures at all the kindergartens and children's recreation facilities in the Khabarovsk territory to prevent similar attacks.

Meanwhile, a criminal investigation has been opened and will involve operatives from Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) as the case is considered "an attempt to carry out a terrorist attack," the state-run Ria Novosti news agency reported. It was not immediately clear what was the motive of the suspect, or if he has links to terrorist groups.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-08-03