Three Injured in Monaco Parcel Bomb Explosion

An explosion rocked a residential building in Monaco on Monday evening around 9pm local time. The incident, strongly suspected to be a deliberate attack, injured three people, two of whom are now in critical condition. The blast occurred on Rue Révérend Père Louis Frolla, an area near the border with France. Christophe Mirmand, Monaco’s Minister of State and head of government, stated the incident was likely a planned attack. Police are currently conducting an intensive investigation. Mirmand explained the explosion was triggered by an improvised device that appeared to be deliberately packed with bolts and iron pellets to maximise damage. According to French media reports from Le Figaro, CCTV footage shows a suspicious man placing a rucksack at the building’s entrance before fleeing on foot towards the French border. Monaco’s Attorney General, Thibault Stéphane, also described the explosive device as a ‘parcel bomb’. The victims are a family reported by local media to be of Ukrainian nationality. They consist of a middle-aged couple in their 50s or 60s who suffered life-threatening injuries, and a 13-year-old teenager who sustained minor injuries. Authorities have stated there is currently no indication of the motive behind the choice of the building as a target. The act of violence prompted an immediate reaction from the neighbouring country. Éric Ciotti, the Mayor of Nice, the French city bordering Monaco, expressed his condolences on the social media platform X. ‘The attack carried out this evening is a tragedy for Monaco,’ Ciotti wrote. The incident has shocked many, given that Monaco, the tax-free microstate on the French Riviera, is considered a highly secure area and is famous as a residence for the world’s billionaires. Monaco police and emergency personnel remain deployed at the scene to hunt for the perpetrator.