Death toll rises to 18 in Crimea college blast: regional leader

At least 18 people died in a blast in a technical college on the Crimean peninsula, with dozens more injured, Crimean head Sergei Aksyonov said on state television on Wednesday.

"It's a colossal tragedy, 18 people died, and 40 more injured, for the time being," Aksyonov told Rossiya 24 channel, after authorities earlier said 50 people were injured.

A student carried out the attack and shot himself, according to the leader of the Russian-annexed peninsula Sergei Askyonov.