RantCrush Top 5: April 3, 2017

This morning, a bomb explosion in the St. Petersburg subway killed at least nine people and injured about 50. According to one news agency, the bomb was filled with shrapnel and exploded on a subway train that was leaving one of the busiest stations in the city. Russian security agencies reportedly found and disarmed a second explosive at a nearby station.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is also currently visiting St. Petersburg, his hometown, to hold talks with the president of Belarus. Investigators are looking into whether it was a terror attack and security measures will be tightened in all transportation facilities in the country. Putin was quickly informed about the incident and said that it’s too early to speculate about possible motives. But Russia is no stranger to terror attacks–in 2010, 38 people died in a suicide bombing by Chechen rebels in the Moscow subway and in 2004 more than 330 people were killed in a hostage situation involving Islamist militants. ISIS has threatened to carry out attacks because of Russia’s military intervention in Syria and the organization has also recruited terrorists from Chechnya.

UPDATE: 47 people injured in St. Petersburg metro blast – Russia’s health minister pic.twitter.com/IguwAYtBHp

— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) April 3, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.