Search underway after Monaco residential blast wounds three
Monaco and French police are looking for a suspect after a deliberate explosion injured three people, including a teenager, officials said.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
2 min read
Authorities in Monaco and France are searching for a man suspected of planting an explosive device in a residential building in central Monaco, where three people were injured Monday night, officials said. The blast marks an unusually violent incident for the wealthy Riviera principality, with Monaco’s head of government saying he knew of no similar act in its history.
The explosion occurred at about 9 p.m. local time, or 19:00 GMT, in a residential building in Monaco, according to authorities cited by AFP and Reuters. Monaco’s public prosecutor, Stephane Thibault, said a suspect left a bag or package in the building’s lobby and then departed.
French newspaper Le Figaro reported that surveillance footage showed a man placing a backpack at the entrance to the building shortly before the blast. An aide to French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said police were working to find the person responsible after he fled.
Three wounded, including teenager
Monaco’s Minister of State Christophe Mirmand said a couple in their 50s or 60s suffered life-threatening injuries. He said a 13-year-old, who was “very likely related to the couple,” was hurt less severely. Officials did not publicly identify the injured people.
AFP reported, citing a source close to the investigation who requested anonymity, that Ukrainian businessman Vadym Yermolaiev was among those wounded. AFP described Yermolaiev as a multimillionaire resident of Monaco.
Yermolaiev has been under Ukrainian sanctions since December 2023, AFP reported. Ukrainian security services reportedly linked the sanctions to his alcohol business activity in Russian-occupied Crimea, according to AFP.
Mirmand initially described the blast to AFP as appearing to be an attack, then later called it a deliberate explosion. He said the device appeared to contain bolts and buckshot.
Prince Albert II of Monaco called the incident a “heinous crime” and said it had shocked the Monegasque community, according to AFP and Reuters.
Police cordon off area
An AFP photographer at the scene reported a heavy police deployment near the building, with access to the area blocked off. A helicopter was seen circling above the site.
Monaco, a small state on the French Riviera near the French border, is known for its concentration of wealth, luxury yachts and billionaire residents. Mirmand said that, to his knowledge, the principality had not previously seen an act of this kind.
Officials did not announce a motive, and authorities did not say whether the injured people had been targeted. The search for the suspect was continuing, according to the aide to France’s interior minister.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.