District officials injured in mine blast in Russia’s Kursk region PHOTO

A vehicle carrying employees of a district administration struck a mine in the town of Rylsk in Russia’s Kursk region, injuring several people, regional governor Alexander Hinshtein said.

“The explosive device was detonated remotely. As a result, the head of the district, Vladimir Kovalchuk, was injured: he has a mine-blast injury and blind shrapnel wounds to his legs.

The vehicle was being driven by Sergei Besedin, director of the administrative services department. The man has a non-penetrating abdominal wound, and his thigh was damaged by shrapnel. He is currently undergoing surgery at the Rylsk Central District Hospital.

After that, both of the injured will be transported to the Kursk Regional Hospital.

Two other people — the head of the culture department and a specialist from the civil defence and emergency situations department — were standing on the building’s porch. They sustained barotrauma from the blast wave and blind shrapnel wounds to their arms and legs.

The area has been cordoned off, and sappers are working at the scene,” the governor said.

By Tamilla Hasanova