Crimean Bridge Rips Truck Bomb, Kills Three
Russia has confirmed three people were killed after a truck bomb exploded on a Crimean bridge.
The territory has become a bone of contention between Ukraine and Russia.
The area has now been annexed by Moscow from Ukraine.
"According to preliminary information, three people have died," the Russian investigative committee said in a statement, as reported by The Moscow Times, Saturday (8/10/2022).
The victim may have been a passenger in the car that was near the exploding truck.
The victims consisted of women and men.
Their identities are being confirmed.
Investigators said a resident of Russia's southern Krasnodar region, who was not named, was the owner of the car.
"Investigative actions have been carried out at his residence," investigators said.
They added that documentation of the truck's route movement was being studied.
Moscow earlier announced that a truck exploded, setting off a huge fire and damaging the main bridge.
Russia vows to find the culprit.
The explosion set fire to 7 oil tankers transported by rail and collapsed two car lanes from a giant road and rail structure.
Dramatic social media footage shows the bridge burning with parts falling into the sea.
“Today at 06:07 (03:07 GMT) on the road traffic side of the Crimean bridge. A truck bomb exploded, setting fire to seven oil tankers transported by train to Crimea," Russian news agencies reported.
The bridge, which was inaugurated privately by President Vladimir Putin in 2018, is an important transport network for bringing military equipment to Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.
Moscow has kept the bridge crossing safe despite the fighting.
A Kremlin spokesman said Putin had ordered a commission to be formed to investigate the explosion.
Russia's powerful investigative committee opened a criminal investigation into the explosion and sent investigators to the scene.