Two people have been killed after a man opened fire at Chisinau International Airport, the Moldovan Interior Ministry has said.
The gunman was wounded and detained, said police.
The interior ministry said the shooting had taken place after a foreign citizen was denied entry to the country.
“Authorities confirm two victims”, the interior ministry said. President Maia Sandu said the two dead were a border guard and an airport security official.
Unconfirmed reports said that the suspect was a Russian national who took hostages and holed himself up in a room. Videos from the scene showed passengers outside the airport on the grass, as the building was evacuated.
#Moldova 🇲🇩: situation outside at the entrance to #Chisinau airport.
Travelers waiting by the side of the road with their luggage while police and firemen arrive. pic.twitter.com/Y8dqGDStTI
— Thomas van Linge (@ThomasVLinge) June 30, 2023
Flights in and out of Chisinau airport, which is the country’s largest, have been grounded.
President of Moldova says that state institutions have been put on high alert, police and law enforcement agencies have been mobilized throughout the country after the shooting incident.