Authorities Identify Gas After Attacks on St. Petersburg Shops
MosNews
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St. Petersburg (Russia):
The gas attack inside large chain stores in St. Petersburg on the day after Christmas poisoned at least 78 people. 66 were taken to hospital.
Most of the casualties are employees at the stores that belong to the Maxidom chain, RIA-Novosti news agency reported, citing a local emergency official.The office quoted by the Interfax news agency said that the gas was identified as merkaptan — a substance with a pungent odour usually added to natural gas to help identify leaks.
So far emergency workers have determined that two homemade explosive devices sprayed the gas from containers in two Maxidom stores on Monday.The city prosecutor’s office instigated criminal proceedings on the article of hooliganism.
The source in the prosecutor’s office also ruled out terrorism.Two suspicious boxes with wires sticking out of them were found in other shops belonging to the same chain in other districts of St. Petersburg, the official said.
The source in the prosecutor’s office also ruled out terrorism, saying the incident was probably staged by competitors of the store.
MosNews_______
St. Petersburg (Russia):
The gas attack inside large chain stores in St. Petersburg on the day after Christmas poisoned at least 78 people. 66 were taken to hospital.
Most of the casualties are employees at the stores that belong to the Maxidom chain, RIA-Novosti news agency reported, citing a local emergency official.The office quoted by the Interfax news agency said that the gas was identified as merkaptan — a substance with a pungent odour usually added to natural gas to help identify leaks.
So far emergency workers have determined that two homemade explosive devices sprayed the gas from containers in two Maxidom stores on Monday.The city prosecutor’s office instigated criminal proceedings on the article of hooliganism.
The source in the prosecutor’s office also ruled out terrorism.Two suspicious boxes with wires sticking out of them were found in other shops belonging to the same chain in other districts of St. Petersburg, the official said.
The source in the prosecutor’s office also ruled out terrorism, saying the incident was probably staged by competitors of the store.
