SAMARA, October 31 (RIA Novosti) - At least seven people died and 40 were injured on Wednesday morning in an explosion on a bus in central Togliatti, a city on Russia's Volga River, rescuers reported.
The cause of the blast has not yet been discovered. Investigators have ruled out a natural gas explosion, as the vehicle had no gas-powered equipment.
Andrei Derbenev, a spokesman for the city's rescue service, said 20 people have been hospitalized, of which two are in a critical condition.
"A further 20 people have requested medical help. Many of them were a long way from the bus at the time of the blast, but were hit by fragments. The shockwaves smashed windows on the ground and first floors of a nearby building," he said.
Togliatti, with a population of about 700,000 people, is home to Russia's largest automaker Avtovaz, which produces cars under the Lada brand.
