Bus bombing leaves 8 dead, 60 injured

A bomb shredded a passenger bus, killing eight people and injuring more than 60 in a central Russian city known for gang violence.

One official speculated that the blast in Togliatti was a terrorist attack, but others said that was only one possibility. They said investigators were also looking into whether it resulted from a turf battle between criminals or even the careless handling of explosives.

Police in the Volga River city also weren’t sure whether the bomb was hidden inside or beneath the bus, or carried on by a passenger, officials said.

Togliatti is headquarters to Russia’s largest carmaker, Avtovaz, and the city has a reputation for gang violence as groups have competed for control of the state-owned factory. The company did not say whether factory workers were among the victims.