Axe and Molotov cocktail attack in Siberian school injures at least 4 students and teacher

The shocking attack was at a high school in Sosnovy Bor village in the Republic of Buryatia, a Buddhist region in southern Siberia. 

An eyewitness said an masked teenager stormed the school with an axe and an explosive device which caused a serious fire.

Other reports suggested two assailants. 

One was captured after the attack, and the fire in one classroom was brought under control.

‘The boy threw a Molotov cocktail in the class on the third floor, cut off a boy's finger and wounded one girl,’ said the witness. 

‘Firefighters quickly arrived, but the police and the ambulance arrived only in 5-15 minutes even more "

The attacker was reported to be from the ninth grade. 

The victims were in the seventh grade. 

A mother was quoted saying: ‘The school was not cordoned off when I took my children away - not even policemen, although the FSB had been informed. 

‘The wounded girl lay without the supervision of class tutors. 

‘The school director was walking around - he did not call anywhere, did nothing. 

'I called the duty prosecutor and it only moved after my call. 

‘We comforted the wounded girl when she was lying on the floor. 

'None of the school administration was there. Children were with the wounded.’

It is the second major school attack in Russia this week. An earlier incident in Perm led to a teacher and a dozen students suffering knife wounds. 

Buryatia regional chief Alexey Tsydenov cut short an official trip to neighbouring Mongolia and was returning to Buryatia. 

Other officials were sent to the school near regional capital Ulan Ude  to take charge of the incident. 

UPDATE: 

Reports later named the main attacker as Anton Bichivin, 15, but said he had an accomplice called Alexander Rogalsky, also 16.

Later reports indicated a third attacker. The main attacker was reported to be detained. 

A female student - not male - lost a finger in the mayhem. 

A student sent a social media message saying: 'Don't go to school, it’s  a butcher's shop.'

The attack came during a Russian literature class. 

A student said: ‘We were sitting in a lesson when suddenly a fire alarm went off. One of the boys jokingly ran out, the rest just laughed at it.’

They were told by a teacher to keep studying.

Then the alarm went off again. And then a boy, or maybe several, ran inside a class and threw a Molotov cocktail.

'Curtains and the whole class caught fire immediately, and he started striking everyone he could reach with an axe. 

'He cut a finger of one student, cut a cheek of another one right to the bone, a third one had been hit at his back, a teacher was wounded.’

A local government spokesman said later: 'There were three attackers. 

'They put the masks in the school, and threw a bottle with burning liquid into the room of Russian language and literature where currently was the lesson of the 7th grade. 

'There was a fire in the room and when teacher and pupils ran away from the room, the offenders met them at the entrance (with the axe) and caused the injuries.’

Minister of health in Buryatia, Dabinima Sambuev, said: ‘Five were injured - 4 children and a woman, 41. Three children are in a grave condition, two - of medium gravity. The military hospital provided first aid.’

Sambuev added: 'The attacker is also injured. He attempted to commit suicide. He has chest and stomach injuries.'