Explosion in Chechen capital Grozny kills 4

Four people have been killed and one wounded in an explosion which sounded in the streets of Grozny, the capital of the Chechen Republic today, Interfax reports.

The blast occurred in an area controlled by Interior Ministry forces and the victims were Interior Ministry servicemen, the report said, citing deputy regional prosecutor Nikolai Kalugin.

Interfax quoted Kalugin as saying there was no immediate indication the explosion was an act of terrorism, which suggested it could have been an accident.

The southern Russian region of Chechnya has been plagued by two separatist wars and persistent violence since 1994, the AP says.