Posted on 08/10/2003 11:52:32 AM PDT by yonif
A canister containing an alkaline substance exploded on a tram in the Russian capital on Sunday, injuring at least five people, Moscow police said.
Ambulances arrived at the site in the Lefortovo region of northeast Moscow, a duty officer said. Russia's Interfax news agency reported that medical helicopters had airlifted some of the injured to the Sklifosovsky Burn Center.
The injured were being treated for chemical and acid injuries, Interfax said, citing unidentified police officers at the scene.
It was not immediately clear what caused the canister to explode.
A series of deadly explosions blamed on Chechen rebels in recent months have left the Russian capital edgy.
Chemical reaction perhaps?
MOSCOW (AP) -- Eight people were burned by a corrosive substance that spread through a tram in Moscow on Sunday, a police duty officer said. The incident was initially believed to be an explosion in a battery in the tram's electrical system, but authorities later confirmed it was due to the spill of a container of an unspecified alkaline substance belonging to one of the injured passengers, Interfax reported.
The police duty officer said the investigation was continuing and he could not comment on the cause. Police detained the man who was carrying the household canister for questioning, Itar-Tass reported. The incident happened at about 3:30 p.m. near 4 Ulitsa Gospitalny Val in eastern Moscow.
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