A cross-border manhunt was launched on Monday after a makeshift bomb exploded in central Monaco, injuring several people. Police in Monaco and neighbouring France are searching for the suspect, who fled the scene and remains at large.
The parcel bomb blast wounded a Ukrainian oligarch and two others, authorities said. A couple and a teenager were also wounded in the explosion.
Christophe Mirmand, Monaco’s minister of state, told BFM TV that two of the injured had sustained life-threatening injuries.
French emergency services were sent to assist local responders, while French and Monegasque police began a coordinated search for the suspect, according to France’s interior ministry.
“No event of this nature has ever happened in the Principality before,” Mirmand told the French news channel.
Explosion struck central Monaco
The explosion occurred shortly before 9 pm local time in central Monaco, the tax-free microstate on the French Riviera that is widely known as a destination for billionaires and luxury yachts.
Police said investigators believe the suspect placed a bag or package in the lobby of the building before leaving the scene.
Public prosecutor Stephane Thibault said there was no immediate indication as to why the property had been targeted.
The Monaco government said the “strong explosion” was triggered by a “parcel bomb”.
“A suspect was seen on video surveillance fleeing towards the municipality of Beausoleil in France,” it wrote on X.
According to Monaco’s Minister of the Interior Lionel Beffre Mirmand, witness accounts have helped investigators identify the suspect.
Mirmand said the explosive device appeared to have been packed with bolts and buckshot.
“This is the first time in history, to my knowledge, that such an act has taken place in the principality,” he added.
Reacting to the incident, Eric Ciotti, the right-wing mayor of nearby Nice in France, wrote on X, “The attack committed this evening is a tragedy for Monaco.”
What do you think about this?
Drop your opinion in the comment section.
Share this with someone who needs to see this.