▲ Police officers stand guard near the site of an explosion at a cafe in central Moscow.
An explosion at a restaurant in Moscow, Russia, on the evening of August 1 local time left 3 people dead and at least 21 others injured, according to Reuters, the Associated Press, and other reports.
According to police, a homemade bomb carried by a woman detonated at around 8 p.m. near the entrance of "Balzi Rossi," an Italian restaurant located in Moscow's Kudrinskaya Square.
The woman, who was attempting to enter the restaurant carrying the explosive device, was killed in the blast, along with a security guard and a restaurant patron.
Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reported that the security guard stopped the woman from entering the restaurant, and the bomb went off shortly afterward.
The Russian newspaper Kommersant, citing a source, reported that the bomb was placed with the intent to harm patrons on the restaurant's outdoor terrace.
It added that a third party may have detonated the bomb remotely, and that the woman carrying it may not have known it was an explosive device.
The Russian Ministry of Health stated that those injured in the blast are receiving necessary medical treatment.
The Russian Investigative Committee is currently verifying the exact number of casualties and the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Authorities have not released the identities of the casualties, nor have they mentioned any suspects behind the incident.
According to the restaurant's website, the branch where the explosion occurred was closed to regular operations on that day for a private reserved event.
(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
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