A man who lived in an apartment block that partially collapsed in the Russian city of Izhevsk has been detained on suspicion of intentionally setting up the explosion that killed at least seven people and left dozens homeless, RT reports.
The suspect, Aleksandr Kopytov, lived with his mother in a flat that is believed to have been the epicenter of Thursday’s blast. An accidental gas leak was initially suspected of causing the explosion, in which nine stories of the building collapsed, turning apartments into rubble and killing seven people, including two children.
Based on preliminary findings and Kopytov’s interrogation, a criminal case has been opened against the man, Russia’s Investigative Committee said in a statement. Investigators found no traces of explosives during their initial analysis
The man is accused of murdering several people through “publicly dangerous methods,” while “personal animosity” is regarded as a possible motive for the alleged crime, investigators said. A forensic psychiatric examination will be arranged for the man, as “there are doubts regarding his mental health,” they added.
