TASSThu, 20 Apr 2023 22:49 UTC
© Mayor of Belgorod City Valentin Demidov via Telegram/Handout via REUTERSA view shows the accident scene following a large blast in a street in the city of Belgorod, Russia, April 20, 2023.
An explosion occurred in the southwestern Russian city of Belgorod late on Tuesday,
shattering windows, damaging cars and leaving a crater of about 20 meters in diameter, Belgorod Region Governor Vyacheslav Gladkov wrote on Telegram.
"An explosion has occurred. According to preliminary information
, there were no casualties. The blast left a crater around 20 meters in diameter at a crossroads in the city center. Windows were shattered in an apartment block nearby. The shockwave damaged several cars parked in the area and knocked down power supply lines," he said.
City Mayor Valentin Demidov, the region's security department chief Yevgeny Vorobyov and emergency services are working at the scene.
Details of the incident will be made public later, the governor said.
Comment: Reuters, citing TASS,
alleges the blast was caused by a Russian warplane that accidentally discharged a missile:
Local authorities reported a large blast in the city, which lies just across the border from Ukraine. The regional governor said two women had been injured.
"As a Sukhoi Su-34 air force plane was flying over the city of Belgorod there was an accidental discharge of aviation ammunition," Tass cited the defence ministry as saying.
It did not say what kind of weapon was involved.
The Su-34 is a supersonic fighter-bomber jet.
The ministry said some buildings had been damaged and announced a probe was already under way, according to Tass.
Video footage from the site showed piles of concrete on the street, several damaged cars and a building with broken windows. One shot showed what appeared to be car upside down on the roof of a store.
The Belgorod region is one of several parts of southern Russia where targets such as fuel and ammunition stores have been rocked by explosions since the start of what Moscow calls its "special military operation" in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
More footage and additional reporting from Twitter:
See also:
Comment: Reuters, citing TASS, alleges the blast was caused by a Russian warplane that accidentally discharged a missile: More footage and additional reporting from Twitter:
See also: