Russian 'assassination attempt' as driver 'narrowly escapes death when booby-trapped car fails to explode'

A driver narrowly escaped death when an alleged assassination attempt failed as a 'bomb' inside his car failed to go off.



The unsuspecting motorist was captured on CCTV returning to his 'booby-trapped' vehicle and opening the door.



Seconds later, a gush of smoke can be seen as the 'car bomb' malfunctioned and inadvertently saved the man's life.



The footage begins with the man opening the door in a car park in the Russian city of Rostov. He looks around before preparing to get in the driver's seat.



But just as he is about to clamber in, smoke starts pouring out from under the vehicle after an apparent minor detonation.



The driver appears stunned.



He steps back a few paces before managing to stagger away from the car.



A passersby who heard the commotion rushes over to drag the man further away from the car for fear of a second explosion.



Another eyewitness rushed over to check the Mercedes to make sure nobody else was inside the vehicle.



The Mercedes owner, whose name has not been released, was rushed by ambulance to a nearby hospital where doctors later described his condition as stable.



Police have launched an investigation into the incident which they are treating as attempted murder.