A device exploded Thursday on a beach in a Russian resort that will host the 2014 Winter Olympics, killing two people and wounding three, officials said.

The blast occurred in the southern city of Sochi when visitors touched the device on the Black Sea resort beach, the regional branch of Russia's Interior Ministry said.

It said a man and a woman died on the spot and three other visitors, including an 8-year-old child, were wounded on the beach, which is 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) north of central Sochi.

Local authorities said they quickly evacuated visitors from all Sochi beaches and checked them for more explosives. None were found.

The explosion immediately drew the concern of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev who ordered his envoy in the region to oversee the investigation. The local governor rushed to the site.

An Interior Ministry official said the explosion could be part of turf battle for control over the area between local criminal groups. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.