Detectives now strongly suspect a man killed by a small bomb in accommodation for homeless people in Dublin had made the device himself.
However, the reasons why Igor Dmitrov, a Lithuanian national, had the improvised explosive device (IED) remain unclear.
The 38 year old, who had come to Ireland almost a decade ago, was killed when the device exploded in his room at the Depaul-supported temporary accommodation centre on Little Britain Street in Dublin’s north inner city at about 3.15pm last Thursday. He was the only person in the room when the explosion occurred.
A search of his personal possessions uncovered items suggesting he was making explosive devices. Gardaí are now liaising with Interpol and the authorities in Lithuania in a bid to learn more about the dead man’s background.
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He was not known to gardaí for any involvement in terrorism or organised crime and it was unclear why he had the device and what he planned to do with it. They are also investigating his mental health history.
[ Depaul charity hopes to reopen homeless hostel hit by fatal explosion within daysOpens in new window ]
The Depaul facility was evacuated safely immediately after the explosion and remained sealed-off on Friday as members of the Garda Technical Bureau carried out forensic examinations.
While Mr Dmitrov is the only suspect in the case, and is now deceased, a major criminal investigation into the explosion is being conducted because of the security concerns it suggests. It raises the prospect he was using homeless accommodation to make explosive devices for supply to others or that he was planning some form of attack.
The man’s mobile phone and internet search history are being checked in a bid to determine his state of mind and actions in the period leading up to his death.
The explosion prompted a major security operation on Thursday, involving the Defence Forces assisting the Garda. The Defence Forces’ Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, using a robot, carried out a controlled explosion on the remains of the device.
A Defence Forces spokesman said technicians arrived on the scene just after 7pm, confirming that the EOD carried out “post-blast analysis and clearance, which included a controlled explosion”. Once the scene was cleared, it was handed back to the Garda Síochána and the operation ended at about 12.30am last Friday.
[ Gardaí believe man killed in homeless centre explosion owned bomb that detonatedOpens in new window ]
The Garda confirmed the man in the room was pronounced dead at the scene and a postmortem was being carried out on his remains.
“The explosion was confined to one room within the property, and no one else was injured. Residents at the premises were evacuated, and a cordon along with local traffic diversions remain in place,” the Garda said.
Dublin Fire Brigade’s firefighters and paramedics from Phibsborough, Tara Street and North Strand stations responded to the emergency call at 3.15pm. They brought the incident under control and handed the scene to gardaí at about 4.15pm.
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