Three people were wounded on Monday in an explosion at a residential building in Monaco, which authorities described as a deliberate attack.

The blast at a residential building was “very likely an attack”, the Minister of State Christophe Mirmand told AFP.

The explosion struck around 9:00 pm local time (1900 GMT) in a residential building on a street along the border with France.

Public prosecutor Stephane Thibault said a suspect had left a bag or package in the building’s lobby before leaving.

Nothing appeared for the moment to indicate why the building might have been targeted, he said.

A couple in their 50s or 60s wounded in the blast were in life-threatening conditions, while a 13-year-old who was “very likely related to the couple” suffered less serious injuries, Mirmand said, without disclosing their nationality.

The explosive device apparently contained bolts and buckshot, Mirmand said, adding that police were investigating the incident.

“This is the first time in history, to my knowledge, that such an act has taken place in the principality,” he said.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)