Bomb Blasts Injure 26 People In Eastern Ukraine

Bomb blasts injure 26 people in eastern Ukraine < br /> 2012-04-28 20:04:25 GMT+7 (ICT) DNIPROPETROVSK, UKRAINE (BNO NEWS) -- A series of bomb blasts shook the city of Dnipropetrovsk in eastern Ukraine on Friday, injuring more than two dozen people, emergency officials said on Saturday. It was not immediately known who was behind the attacks.The first attack happened at approximately 11:50 a.m. local time when an explosive device detonated inside a trash bin at a tram stop near Karl Marx Avenue, which is located in the heart of the city. The explosion blew out the windows of a tram which had just arrived at the stop, causing passengers to flee.It was followed by three other explosions throughout the next hour, all caused by explosive devices which were placed in trash bins near the city's main tram line. The damage caused by the explosions was relatively small, and most people were injured in the first explosion.A spokesperson for Ukraine's Emergencies Ministry said 26 people were injured in the blasts, including 11 teenagers. "As of 7 a.m. on Saturday, 22 people remain hospitalized, three of whom are in a serious condition, including a teenager," the spokesperson said. "The cause of the explosion is under investigation."Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych arrived in Dnipropetrovsk on Saturday morning and visited city hospitals before meeting with investigators. "We must do everything to find the criminals, and determine the crime's motives and aim," he said during the meeting. "Everything being done must be done in a short time, well, and for the benefit of the people."Friday's blasts come just several weeks before Poland and Ukraine co-host the 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, although it was not immediately known if the attacks are related to the event. Some investigators said there could be a financial motive behind the attacks, and some experts noted that Dnipropetrovsk has been the scene of protests to demand the release of opposition leader and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko.

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