Witness describes chaotic scene after St. Petersburg subway blast “There was a jolt and a loud bang, sparks,” Andrei Shurshev, 22, said.

 -- A witness described the chaotic scene in the moments immediately after a bomb exploded on a subway train traveling between two stations in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Monday.

Andrei Shurshev, 22, said he was in the car right next to the one where the bomb went off.

“There was a jolt and a loud bang, sparks,” Shurshev told ABC News. “Smoke appeared with the smell of gunpowder. People moved to one end of the carriage. Some panicked, others didn't.”

At least 11 people were killed in the blast, which has been classified as a terrorist attack by Russia's Investigative Committee, the country's primary federal investigative authority. At least 45 people were hospitalized from the blast.

When the train arrived at the station, Shurshev said people rushed out.

“People got out from the neighboring wagon through the glass in the doors. Metro staff were dragging out the wounded," Shurshev added.

Shurshev said he left the platform immediately after the blast. As he left, he said he could see many wounded still inside the car where the blast took place.

The explosion occurred at 2:40 p.m. local time.

The subway system in St. Petersburg serves about 2 million riders a day. It was shut down and evacuated as a result of the explosion, thought it has since resumed operations.