Homemade bomb kills three at Moscow restaurant on Kudrinskaya Square

A homemade bomb detonated outside the Balzi Rossi restaurant in central Moscow on Saturday, killing at least three people and injuring 21 others, Russian officials said.

The explosion occurred around 8 p.m. local time on Kudrinskaya Square near one of Moscow's Stalin-era skyscrapers, according to Russia's National Anti-Terrorism Committee. An unidentified woman carrying an improvised explosive device attempted to enter the restaurant but was stopped by a security guard. The device detonated during the confrontation, killing the woman, the guard, and a restaurant patron.

The restaurant, an exclusive Italian establishment, had been closed for a private function at the time of the blast. Witnesses reported seeing people being brought out covered in blood following the explosion. Some attendees were observed leaving the venue barefoot, carrying their shoes.

Initial reports from Moscow police suggested the blast caused three deaths and 15 injuries, but the number of injured later grew to 21, according to state media. The National Anti-Terrorism Committee confirmed the death toll of three.

Early speculation attributed the explosion to a gas leak, but officials later clarified that a homemade bomb was responsible. Armed security forces sealed off access to the restaurant following the incident. The cause of the blast and the identity of the woman remain under investigation, authorities said.