Authorities in Monaco have ruled out terrorism as a motive for an explosion that wounded three people on Monday evening. The blast occurred at the entrance of a residential building after a man allegedly left a package there.

Prosecutor Stephane Thibault told reporters Tuesday that the suspect fled on foot and remains at large. Security footage shows the suspect wearing a black jacket, light trousers, white shoes, and a black hat partially concealing his face. Police have opened an attempted murder investigation but are not treating it as terrorism.

One of the injured, a woman, is in life-threatening condition; her partner and a 13-year-old child suffered less severe injuries. Media reports identify Ukrainian construction tycoon Vadym Yermolaiev among the wounded. Ukrainian news site Ukrainska Pravda said he was targeted by Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 for alleged ties to Russia.

Christophe Mirmand, Monaco's minister of state, told LCI that the three victims were 'apparently returning home peacefully' and were caught in the explosion as they crossed the threshold of their building. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry confirmed three Ukrainian nationals from one family were wounded.

Yermolaiev, a multimillionaire Monaco resident, has been under Ukrainian sanctions since December 2023 over his alcohol business in Russian-occupied Crimea. Monaco, a microstate of 38,000 people, is considered one of the safest places globally, with extensive surveillance coverage.

Source: www.aljazeera.com