12 people hurt in Russian convent blast

MOSCOW — A homemade bomb detonated in a school attached to an Orthodox convent and wounded 12 people, including a 15-year-old, Russian authorities were reported as saying Monday.

They said the suspected bomber was an 18-year-old former student of the school. The man survived and is in intensive care.

The explosion occurred in the Vladychny convent in Serpukhov, about 65 miles from Moscow, the Russian Interior Ministry said.

Media reports suggest the bomber may have been motivated by hatred of the teachers and nuns.

Staff and students were evacuated, and Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened an investigation.

Patriarch Kirill, head of the Russian Orthodox Church, urged support for the victims of the explosion and expressed hope that the authorities would do everything necessary to prevent such an incident in the future.