We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Sign up fornow and never miss the top politics stories again.

Nobody was killed in the explosion, but several people were rushed to hospital with non-life-threatening injures following the blast in the Russian city this evening.

Around 50 people were evacuated from the area following the blast.

Russian media has reported officials as saying an “improvised explosive device” which was “filled with projectiles” appears to have been the cause of the blast.

An official statement said: "According to the preliminary assessment by explosives experts, an improvised explosive device, equivalent to 200 grams of TNT, exploded in St Petersburg.

"The device was filled with projectiles.”