Death toll from St. Petersburg metro blast rises to 14

By Diyar Guldogan

ANKARA (AA) – The death toll from Monday's metro blast in St. Petersburg has increased to 14, Russian media said on Tuesday.

Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova confirmed the figure, according to Russian news agency TASS.

Skvortsova said 11 victims died at the scene and three others later died of their injuries.

She also said 49 people had been hospitalized.

According to Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee, Monday’s blast tore through a train at 2.40 p.m. local time (1140GMT) as it was traveling between Sennaya Ploshchad and Technological Institute stations.

The Russian Investigative Committee later described the explosion as a "terrorist attack”.

Kyrgyz media reported on Tuesday that Akbarzhon Jalilov, a 22-year-old male originally from Kyrgyzstan's Osh region, had been identified as the suspect culprit by Kyrgyz intelligence.

Late on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin laid flowers at the metro station in tribute, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Russia also announced three days of mourning.