A parcel bomb exploded at the Swiss Embassy in Rome today. A second blast was just reported at the Chilean Embassy.
(ANSA)
A parcel bomb exploded today at the Swiss Embassy in Rome seriously injuring a 53 year-old employee.
The New York Times reported:
A parcel bomb exploded in the Swiss embassy here on Thursday, seriously injuring at least one diplomatic employee, the police and embassy officials said.
The Swiss Embassy in Rome confirmed in a statement that a package containing a hidden explosive device detonated around noon when an embassy employee opened it, causing injuries to both his hands. Those injuries appeared serious, a spokesman for the Carabinieri police said, and the employee was taken to a local hospital.
Italian news media said the employee was a 53-year-old Swiss man. A police spokesman could not confirm those reports, saying the authorities were still investigating.
The Swiss Embassy is located in the leafy Rome neighborhood of Parioli. It was not immediately clear who had sent the package or why the embassy had been the target. The embassy said that no one had claimed responsibility for the bomb. Foreign Minister Franco Frattini condemned what he called a “deplorable act of violence” and wished the employee a speedy recovery.
The parcel explosion comes two days after Rome police discovered a defective explosive device under a subway seat. That package — containing tubes, wiring and a small amount of explosive powder — “was too rudimentary” to work, the police said.
ANSA reported that the man risks losing his left hand.
UPDATE: A second bomb blast just exploded at the Chilean Embassy in Rome.
The Globe and Mail reported:
Italian news agency ANSA says a package has exploded at Chilean Embassy in Rome, injuring one, marking the second blast of the day in the country’s capital.
Earlier package exploded at the Swiss embassy in Rome, injuring one person seriously.
The first victim was a man and has injuries to his hands, suggesting the bomb exploded when he opened the parcel. The carabinieri, the Italian military police, are at the embassy.
UPDATE: There were also bomb threats reported near the capital and near a polling station in Rome EUR.
UPDATE: Another Bomb failed to explode at the Ukrainian Embassy in Rome.
UPDATE: Anarchists and eco-terrorists are suspected of having launched the attacks.
UPDATE: The suspected bomb at the Ukrainian Embassy contained no dangerous items.
