Grenade injures 18 in Prague

A grenade thrown from a passing car exploded in a crowded shopping district at the heart of Prague's historic centre yesterday but officials said the attack was criminal and not terror-related.

Officials said 18 people were injured, including one child and five Britons. A spokesman for the Prague emergency department said four people were seriously injured while the rest were treated on the scene.

"This was not a terrorist attack, it was not a bomb," Prague Deputy Mayor Rudolf Blazek told reporters at the scene.

The pedestrian street was teeming with thousands of tourists enjoying a warm and sunny afternoon in the area, which is home to nearby historic sites such as Wenceslas Square, and the Estates Theatre where Mozart's opera Don Giovanni premiered.

Mr Blazek said the blast occurred near a casino, and may have been a robbery attempt as an armoured security vehicle was parked by the Israeli-owned Royal Casino.

He added that the damage was limited because the grenade rolled under a parked car.

A British Foreign Office spokesman said five British nationals were among the injured. "British embassy officials are visiting the hospitals where they are being treated," he said.