970

Euronews: Car blast in Moldova.The head of Moldova’s tennis federation died.Apart from his post at the tennis federation, Turcan


 

 
CHISINAU (Reuters) – The head of Moldova’s tennis federation died of wounds sustained when a parked car blew up on Tuesday in the centre of the capital Chisinau as he walked by, police and doctors said.
 
The explosion took place outside the federation’s headquarters in an area of the city close to several government buildings and the headquarters of the state security service.
 
Igor Turcan, federation president, was taken to hospital where he died from serious injuries, Liviu Vovc, the head of Moldova’s emergency rescue service, told Reuters.
 
Interior Ministry spokesman Chiril Motpan said the cause of the explosion had not been established though a gas cylinder in the car may have exploded.
 
A senior federation official, however, said a deliberate attempt on Turcan’s life could not be ruled out.
 
“The explosion happened just as the tennis federation’s president had parked his car and was walking to his office,” said federation vice-president Marina Tauber.
 
Apart from his post at the tennis federation, Turcan headed a campaign effort for an independent candidate in last weekend’s election for Chisinau mayor.
 
He sustained wounds to his body and legs, doctors said.
 
The former Soviet republic, which has borders with Ukraine and European Union member Romania, is one of the poorest states in Europe, but bomb attacks which have been a feature of daily life in many post-Soviet states are relatively unknown.
 
http://www.euronews.net/newswires/960527-car-blast-in-moldovan-capital-kills-at-least-three/
 
 
BBC: Car blast in Moldova.  

Moldovan tennis federation chief Igor Turcan has been killed in a car explosion near the federation headquarters in the capital, Chisinau.
 
Mr Turcan, 38, was passing the parked car, a Lada with Russian plates, when it blew up and burst into flame, the city's mayor told reporters.
 
Nobody else was hurt in the blast, Dorin Kirtoake added.
 
Moldovan police were not ruling out the possibility that a bomb had been set off, a local TV channel said.
 
The tennis chief died in hospital of wounds to his legs, stomach and head, his deputy, Marina Tauber, told reporters.
 
Election work
 
She described the explosion as an "assassination" but an interior ministry spokesman, Kirill Motspan, said either a gas canister or explosives could have been the cause of the blast.
 
Moldovan Prime Minister Vlad Filat also said it was too early to draw conclusions about what happened.
 
According to the Associated Press news agency, Mr Turcan had business interests in Moldova's construction sector.
 
Furthermore, he headed a campaign for an independent candidate, Mihai Godea, in last weekend's election for Chisinau mayor.
 
"We find it strange that the car that exploded was parked near the office of the Moldovan tennis federation although it did not belong to any of our employees,"
 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13680308

0