At least three killed in explosion near cafe in Russia’s Moscow

DEVELOPING STORY, ⁠Fifteen also ​injured ‌in the blast in Kudrinskaya Square, authorities say.An explosion near a cafe in the Russian capital has killed at least three people, police said, without saying what caused the blast.The explosion took place near a summer terrace located on the ground floor ‌of one of Moscow’s seven Stalin-era skyscrapers at Kudrinksaya Square on Saturday, the police said.In a statement on the Russian social media platform Max, the Interior Ministry said the blast occurred at about 8:10pm (17:10GMT).Moscow police told state news agency Ria Novosti that the blast caused “three deaths and 15 injured, of varying degrees of seriousness”. The injured were receiving medical care.Russian state TV ⁠suggested that the explosion may have ⁠been caused by a gas canister detonating. This could not be independently verified.Armed security forces sealed off access to the Balzi Rossi restaurant, near which the blast occurred, Russian media said. The Baza Telegram channel also said the explosion was caused by a gas blast in the cafe’s kitchens.However, the Telegram monitoring channel ASTRA, citing witnesses, reported that a birthday celebration for a general was taking place near where the explosion occurred. The report could not be independently verified, and authorities have not confirmed the claim.Police, firefighters and emergency services were deployed to the scene, while authorities said the cause of the explosion was under investigation.Traffic near the square has been temporarily blocked, Russian media reported, and the entrances to the Barrikadnaya metro station have been closed.