MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 15th March, 2023) Two people were taken to a hospital after a car bomb exploded in the city of Melitopol in Zaporizhzhia region, a regional councilor said Tuesday.
"A man and a woman have been injured, according to a situation update. They have been hospitalized," Vladimir Rogov said on social media.
The Toyota Land Cruiser Prado was parked near a market when the improvised explosive device went off, Rogov said. The energy released by the blast was equivalent to 1 kilogram (2.2 Pounds) of TNT.
The official blamed the "terrorist" explosion on the Ukrainian government, which, he said, hopes to "destabilize the region and disrupt its peaceful life."
The preliminary investigation identified the car's owner as Ivan Tkach, who runs a local transport company. Rogov said the Ukrainian government had labeled the businessman as a traitor for "collaborating with Russia."
Local authorities updated the toll of casualties later in the day, saying that a total of three people had been injured, including a child.
"The owner of the car that exploded today in the center of Melitopol, Ivan Tkach, died in hospital from his injuries," the Melitopol administration said on Telegram.
