11 killed in bomb blast on Minsk subway

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko urgently summoned law enforcement and security ministers, presidential and city administration officials for a meeting.

Medics and rescuers rushed to the scene of the incident three minutes after receipt of information about it.

"The circumstances of the incident are being investigated," the Emergencies Ministry told Itar-Tass.

The incident occurred at 17:56 Minsk time (18:56 Moscow time). The type of the explosive device has not been determined yet.

Rescuers lead the people out of the subway. No panic has been reported.

Police have cordoned off approaches to the Oktyabrskaya and Kupalovskaya subway stations where the bomb exploded. A big crater can be seen at scene of the explosion.

Witnesses say people were killed and injured not only by the bomb blast but also by a collapsed stairway.

Police and rescuers have refrained from comments saying they do not have full information.

Minsk's subway is the fifth largest subway system in the CIS in terms of passenger flow and sixth largest by the number of stations and the only one in Belarus. The construction of the first line lasted from 1977 till 1984 and was opened in June 1984.

The subway has two lines 30.3 kilometres long with 25 stations and transports about 40 percent of passengers carried by public transport in Minsk.