| A car exploded early yesterday morning in the center of Helsinki. A 30-year-old Finn was killed and the driver of a neighboring car was injured. This is an unprecedented event for quiet Finland. Metropolitan Police Chief Ollie Toiras declined to name names, saying, however, that “the person killed is known to us.” He expressed the view that the explosion was a “settling of scores between individuals” and “an isolated incident that has nothing to do with politics or terrorism.” The car was blown up by a very powerful bomb - pieces of iron and glass, according to eyewitnesses, seriously damaged the surrounding buildings and broke the glass in the windows of the Helka Hotel, a favorite haven for tourists from Russia. The car was in motion at the time of the explosion, and was separated by approximately the same distance from both the hotel and the local synagogue. However, Mr. Toiras said that he does not believe the version that has already appeared that the explosion could have been caused by anti-Semites (especially since the synagogue is located on the next street), although he does not completely rule it out.
Alexey SLOBODIN, Helsinki
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