A former student is suspected of exploding a homemade bomb in a Russian orthodox school, injuring 12.

       Among the victims at the school in Serpukhov, about 65 miles south of Moscow, was a 15-year-old, Russian authorities said on Monday.

       An 18-year-old former pupil who is suspected of planting the improvised device was also injured in the blast and is in intensive care at a local hospital.

       According to the Russian state news agency TASS, the explosion took place at school which is attached to the Vladychny Orthodox convent.

       Local Russian media reports have suggested the attack may have been motivated by a hatred of teachers or nuns at the convent.

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       Staff and students at the school have been evacuated from the scene, while the Russian Investigative Committee, the country’s main federal investigative body, has launched a probe into the incident.

       Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, urged support for the victims of the explosion and expressed hope that the authorities would do everything necessary to prevent such an incident occurring again in the future.