St. Petersburg explosion: Early videos, photos of aftermath

According to early reports, the blast happened on a train between two stations: Sennaya Square and Technology Institute stations, two of the city’s major transportation hubs. St. Petersburg is Russia’s second-largest city.

Early footage from the scene of the tragedy shows the charred, hollowed-out body of the train and smoke filling the Sennaya Ploshchad metro station, as shocked travelers try to make sense of what just happened. Amid the chaos and destruction, first responders can be seen helping the dozens of wounded passengers. Outside the station, emergency services personnel helped victims reach ambulances so they could be rushed away for medical care.
Russian President Vladimir Putin was in St. Petersburg to meet with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko. Putin said the cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, but he was not ruling out terrorism. Local news outlet Fontanka reported that three metro stations have been closed.
The images and videos that were taken immediately after the blast, some of which are included below, show the horror and heartbreak of attacks on civilians.