4 Explosions Shake Dnepr

By COLlive and newswires

Four explosions in a series of locations have shaken the large Ukrainian city of Dnepropetrovsk injuring at least 29 people.

Local authorities have begun a terrorist investigation into the incident, the Interior Ministry said. Suspects have already been arrested.

According to local reports, the explosions hit a tram stop, a railway station, a park and near the opera house.

Ukrainian site vgorode.ua reports widespread panic in the city where people are afraid where the next explosion will occur.

While telephone networks are down in the city after being inundated with calls of people fearing for the safety of their friends and family, Dnepr’s Chief Rabbi Shmuel Kaminetzky managed to pass along a message before Shabbos.

“We and all the families of Shluchim in Dnepr are safe,” he told COLlive via an employee of Merkos L’inyonei Chinuch.

The city’s police have warned citizens to stay indoors, but Rabbi Kaminetzky did not say whether he told members of the Jewish community to come to shul on Shabbos or remain at home.

All he added was: “I thank you all for your concern, Gut Shabbos.”

Ukrainian president Viktor Yankovich has announced the creation of a group of specialists that will investigate the blasts. “Our best investigators and detectives will be looking into the incident,” said Yankovich.