Bus blast kills 2 in southern Russia

A bomb exploded on a bus in southern Russia on Sunday, killing two people and wounding four others, officials said.

The blast occurred when a bus traveling from Pyatigorsk to Stavropol stopped at a station in the city of Nevinnomysk, about 1,050 miles south of Moscow, said Sergei Kozhemyaka, a spokesman for the Emergency Situations Ministry`s branch in southern Russia.

A duty officer at the regional police headquarters later said investigators had determined that the explosion was caused by a bomb. The officer refused to give his name, saying he was not authorized to speak to the media.

The explosion in the back of the bus killed two passengers and wounded another four, including one who was in serious condition, Kozhemyaka said.

The incident took place in Russia`s troubled North Caucasus, which is plagued by violence from feuding criminal groups, remnants of Chechen separatist groups, and other militant groups that target government and police.

An explosion on a bus in the same region on Nov. 22 killed five people and wounded a dozen others in what officials said was a terror attack.

sections: Accidents, Region News
regions: Southern region