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Man in Siberia Detonates Grenade When Taxi Driver Won't Transport Him

A drunk man in Siberia detonated a grenade because a taxi driver refused to take him where he wanted to go.

A man in Siberia stands accused of drunkenly detonating a grenade when a taxi driver refused to take him where he wanted to go — and threatening to detonate another one when medics arrived after the blast.

A police statement published Friday said the incident occurred late Thursday in Angarsk, when the suspect "approached a taxi driver to take him to Irkutsk. After receiving a refusal, he took out a grenade and threw it on the ground."

The man — described as "extremely intoxicated" — received various injuries as a result of the ensuing blast, as did a passenger already in the taxi, who was subsequently hospitalized.

"After the explosion, the 38-year-old resident of Angarsk categorically refused to accept any medical help and threatened to detonate another grenade, waving it around," the statement said.

After cordoning off the area, police managed to persuade the man to surrender the second grenade and take him into custody. An investigation is under way into the incident.

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